Background: Nosocomial infection (NIs) is caused by pathogenic reactions related to the infectious agent itself or its toxins in the hospital. Air pollution can include fungal and bacterial pollutionwhich are among the main factors for the prevalence of NIs. This study aimed to determine the quantitative and qualitative amount of fungal aerosol in the indoor air of hospital operating rooms.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the concentration of fungal aerosol in operating rooms was studied. Sampling of fungal aerosol was done by Quick Take 30 with a flow rate of 28.3 L/min and a duration of 5 minutes on Sabro dextrose agar culture medium containing chloramphenicol antibiotic.
Results: Based on the findings of the study, it was found that the average total fungal aerosol density in public and private sector hospitals was 9.8 and 4.1 CFU/m3, respectively. The highest prevalence of isolated fungi during the sampling period in the public hospital was Trichophyton with an average frequency of 52.5% and in the private sector hospital was Aspergillus with an average frequency of 41.5%. The results showed that for fungal aerosol, the health risk assessment indicated that occupants in the indoor air of hospital operating rooms had an acceptable exposure risk (hazard index < 1).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Trichophyton and Aspergillus are the most dominant fungal aerosols identified in both studied hospitals. According to the standard of the World Health Organization (WHO), the concentration of fungal aerosol was lower than the indoor air standard.