Abstract

This study is aimed to measure the fungal loads in the protected areas with different ventilation systems, including the stem cell transplantation unit and haematology sevice to compare the results with the outdoor air. Using volumetric air samplinc method, fungal load was investigated in the air; samples were taken from 11 points for a period of 25 weeks. Concentrations of fungal conidium were identified by the sampling carried out in the stem cell transplantation unit patient rooms, stem cell transplantation unit corridor and entrance area, adult haematology sevice patient rooms, haematology sevice corridor and hospital garden. Considering the total fungi load in all groups; Fonsecaea sp. (40.6%) Penicillium sp. (32.9%), Alternaria sp. (7.1%), Aspergillus sp. (5.8%) and Arthrographis sp. (3.3%) were found to be the most common species. In this study, effect of the ventilation system on the total fungus concentration was obviously seen. But, there was no obvious difference in terms of the Aspergillus concentrations between high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered stem cell transplantation unit and haematology sevice where a filter of lower efficiency was used. There was not an obvious difference between the indoor and outdoor locations in terms of the distribution of identified species. This might be explained with outdoor fungi contamination reflecting to the indoor location in a certain amount.

Key words: Haematology, stem cell transplantation, air contamination, fungi, Aspergillus sp.