2017 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 101-107
Aspergillus spp. can cause nosocomial infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Renovation or demolition of buildings produces suspended dust that contains spores of Aspergillus and other fungal species.
During the renovation of our hospital ward, we took preventive measures for controlling nosocomial infection, primarily based on the concentration of suspended dust in the ward as an indicator. No apparent increase in the amount of suspended dust that is believed to have resulted from the renovation was observed in the patient area of the hospital; however, the concentration of suspended dust in the ward was affected by the concentration of outdoor suspended particulate matter (SPM). The concentration of suspended dust increased only at the front of the entrance to the renovation work site. The number of inspection requests and positive rate for (1,3)-β-D-glucan and that of detection for Aspergillus spp. showed no significant increase during the renovation period compared with the non-renovation period. Cases of aspergillosis in patients that possibly resulted from the renovation were not detected. We concluded that monitoring of suspended dust in the ward while comparing its concentration with that of outdoor SPM is useful for infection control during renovations or demolitions.
