Fungal contamination of air conditioning units in operating theatres in India

Is fumigation enough for air conditioning units in operation theatres and Intensive care units?

“…23 Moreover, the contaminated filters act as a reservoir for fungal spores, by acting as a niche for multiplication of the fungi. 7 A study from private hospitals in India had earlier reported a contamination rate of 26% of AC filters 7 which is quite low as compared to our findings of a contamination rate of 88.2% pre-fumigation and 76.9% post-fumigation. This may be explained by the lack of periodic maintenance of equipment in the government hospitals owing to the paucity of financial resources as well as due to the lack of consciousness.…”

“…Studies have shown that wall mounted ACs provide better air filtration parameters as opposed to window mounted ACs. 7 However, in the absence of proper servicing, the filters the ACs, both wall mounted and window mounted, start acting as an active nidus for multiplication of fungi and leads to generation of fungal spores. Study by Dettenkofer et al 26 suggest that even the exchange of filters at periodical interval is not a sufficient measure to ensure microbiological sterility of the air in operating rooms; periodical drying the ventilation pipes and elements of equipment is recommended to generate adequately sterile air necessary to maintain a conducive atmosphere in the OT.…”

“…5,6 The filters of contaminated AC units provide a niche for proliferation of fungi and production of fungal spores. 5,7 Such fungal spores which often includes opportunistic pathogenic fungi can get inoculated at the surgical wounds resulting in post-operative infections or be inhaled resulting in hospital acquired infections (HAI). Cluster of HAI in immune-compromised patients have been reported to be associated with increased levels of the atmospheric dust and fungal spores.…”

“…However, studies have shown that routine sterilization practices in OTs often fail to address the organisms that persists in the filters of the AC units especially the fungal spores. 7 We therefore planned and executed a surveillance study of air conditioners in various OTs and ICUs in our hospital in order to estimate the level of fungal contamination of the AC units and also to improvise on intervention strategies.…”

Assessment of mold concentrations in Singapore shopping centers using mold-specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR) analysis

“…The presence of excessive mold growth can contribute to respiratory illness [1,2] and possibly infections [3]. In addition to water leaks in a building, a humid climate may promote mold growth indoors.…”