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Bonadonna L, Briancesco R, Coccia AM, Meloni P, Rosa GL, Moscato U. Microbial Air Quality in Healthcare Facilities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:6226. [PMID: 34207509 PMCID: PMC8296088 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that indoor air quality and contaminated surfaces provide an important potential source for transmission of pathogens in hospitals. Airborne hospital microorganisms are apparently harmless to healthy people. Nevertheless, healthcare settings are characterized by different environmental critical conditions and high infective risk, mainly due to the compromised immunologic conditions of the patients that make them more vulnerable to infections. Thus, spread, survival and persistence of microbial communities are important factors in hospital environments affecting health of inpatients as well as of medical and nursing staff. In this paper, airborne and aerosolized microorganisms and their presence in hospital environments are taken into consideration, and the factors that collectively contribute to defining the infection risk in these facilities are illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Bonadonna
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.B.); (A.M.C.); (P.M.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Rossella Briancesco
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.B.); (A.M.C.); (P.M.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Anna Maria Coccia
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.B.); (A.M.C.); (P.M.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Pierluigi Meloni
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.B.); (A.M.C.); (P.M.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Giuseppina La Rosa
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.B.); (A.M.C.); (P.M.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Umberto Moscato
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Section of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Management of Microbiological Contamination of the Water Network of a Newly Built Hospital Pavilion. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10010075. [PMID: 33467059 PMCID: PMC7829805 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The good installation, as well as commissioning plan, of a water network is a crucial step in reducing the risk of waterborne diseases. The aim of this study was to monitor the microbiological quality of water from a newly built pavilion before it commenced operation. Overall, 91 water samples were tested for coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella at three different times: T0 (without any water treatment), T1 (after treatment with hydrogen peroxide and silver ions at initial concentration of 20 mg/L and after flushing of water for 20 min/day for seven successive days) and T2 (15 days later). Coliforms were detected in 47.3% of samples at T0, 36.3% at T1 and 4.4% at T2. E. coli was isolated in 4.4% of the samples only at T1, while enterococci appeared in 12.1% of the samples at T1 and in 2.2% at T2. P. aeruginosa was isolated in 50.5% of the samples at T0, 29.7% at T1 and 1.1% at T2. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 8 was isolated in 80.2% of the samples at T0, 36.3% at T1 and 2.2% at T2. Our results confirmed the need for a water safety plan in new hospital pavilions to prevent the risk of waterborne diseases.
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Gola M, Settimo G, Capolongo S. How Can Design Features and Other Factors Affect the Indoor Air Quality in Inpatient Rooms? Check-Lists for the Design Phase, Daily Procedures and Maintenance Activities for Reducing the Air Concentrations of Chemical Pollution. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E4280. [PMID: 32549333 PMCID: PMC7344858 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is one of main topics of Public Health on which international institutions and countries are taking action. With regards to healing architectures, several studies have reported data analysis and case studies to improve users' health (patients, and medical and administrative staffs), but there are not enough regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Regarding chemical pollution of indoor air, the Scientific Community has highlighted that there are several factors that affect the IAQ, in particular the design and management, and energetic efficiency, of inpatient wards. Several stakeholders, from the designers to the managers, are responsible for the indoor air in healing environments. Supported by analysis of the State of the Art and the main factors that influence the heterogeneous scenario of inpatient wards, the paper presents three check-lists, designed for supporting the stakeholders during the design phase, or for the daily procedures and maintenance activities, for pre-assessment of factors that affect chemical pollution, and for the definition of strategies to be applied. In fact, in such environments IAQ assumes a particular meaning and importance, both for the vulnerability of the patients and for the long time spent by the sanitary staff. The multidisciplinary approach emphasizes the continuous need for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills aimed at finding solutions able to protect users' health status (including patients, workers and visitors), especially in the field of the indoor air issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gola
- Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering Dept, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Gaetano Settimo
- Environment and Health Dept, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Stefano Capolongo
- Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering Dept, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
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Caggiano G, Marcotrigiano V, Trerotoli P, Diella G, Rutigliano S, Apollonio F, Marzella A, Triggiano F, Gramegna M, Lagravinese D, Sorrenti GT, Magarelli P, Moscato U, Montagna MT. Food Hygiene Surveillance in Italy: Is Food Ice a Public Health Risk? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E2408. [PMID: 32252266 PMCID: PMC7178082 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Food ice is used as an ingredient or as a coolant in drinks and in the storage of food, especially fishery products. Studies show that ice can be polluted both by chemical substances and by bacteria and fungi. In particular, the presence of fungi in these food matrices has acquired an important role in Public Health, as it can represent a risk factor for fungal complications in immunocompromised subjects. In the present study we evaluated the hygiene-sanitary quality of food ice from public and collective catering establishments in a large area of Southern Italy, investigating the mandatory parameters (Escherichia coli, coliform and Enterococci) and some accessory parameters (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungi) provided for Italian Legislative Decree 31/01. Although 54.5% of samples were compliant, the results highlight a vast contamination of food ice by bacteria and fungi. In particular, 95.8% of samples were contaminated by fungi, stressing no difference between compliant and non-compliant samples. Their presence is generally attributable to the poor sanitation conditions in the production and/or administration phase and to the incorrect sanitization and ordinary maintenance procedures. It seems appropriate to suggest the need to carry out a specific risk assessment with respect to the self-control plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Caggiano
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Vincenzo Marcotrigiano
- Department of Prevention, Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, Local Health Unit BT, Barletta-Andria-Trani, 76125 Trani, Italy; (V.M.); (G.T.S.); (P.M.)
| | - Paolo Trerotoli
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Giusy Diella
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Serafina Rutigliano
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Francesca Apollonio
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Angelo Marzella
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Francesco Triggiano
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Matilde Gramegna
- Department of Prevention, Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, Local Health Unit Bari–Metropolitan Area, 70100 Bari, Italy;
| | | | - Giovanni Trifone Sorrenti
- Department of Prevention, Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, Local Health Unit BT, Barletta-Andria-Trani, 76125 Trani, Italy; (V.M.); (G.T.S.); (P.M.)
| | - Pantaleo Magarelli
- Department of Prevention, Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, Local Health Unit BT, Barletta-Andria-Trani, 76125 Trani, Italy; (V.M.); (G.T.S.); (P.M.)
| | - Umberto Moscato
- Department of Health Science of Woman and Child and Public Health-Occupational Health and Hygiene Section-Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A.Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maria Teresa Montagna
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology Hygiene Section–University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; (P.T.); (G.D.); (S.R.); (F.A.); (A.M.); (F.T.)
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