Studies of Bacterial Contamination of an Operating Theatre Corridor Floor

Abstract

We have investigated the bacterial contamination of 15 sites of floor surface in operating theatre corridor from dirty area to semiclean and clean area. Surface sampling of those floor siters was made by agar sausage method, which required for measuring the level of contamination. Counts of bacteria on surfaces of whole corridor, wherein no one working, were about 4 cfu/10cm^2. During operation, bacterial counts on surfaces increased gradually in proportion to the numbers of surgical staff and medical college students. There were significantly differented between composition of bacterial flora isolated from floor surface during operation and those in Saturday afternoon. In dirty ara, contamination of floor surface significantly increased and there was also a correlation between the mean values of floor contamination and the numbers of students. In semiclean area, one sites of floor surface was significantly contaminated, but in clean area contamination were not found significantly. Large numbers of bacterial were found on the flooe surface where shoes of staff were changed to slippers to enter clean area. No quantitative but qualitative relationship was found between the composition of bacterial flora isolated from soles of shoes, slippers and the floor surface.