Determination of Bacterial Quality of Indoor Air of Health Centers around Georgetown

Abstract

Health centers around Georgetown, Guyana, are bisected with myriads of problems such as inadequate sanitation protocols and physical and environmental factors that contribute to the rise of nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to conduct a bacteriological assessment of indoor air in three health centers around Georgetown, Guyana. This research was conducted under a cross-sectional study design for a period of one month. Nutrient agar plates were exposed for 30 minutes twice a day over three days. Subsequently, plates were incubated at 37℃ for 24-48 hours, and the number and types of bacteria were determined. The average bacterial load during the morning was 2226.33 cfu/ m3 and 2032.33 cfu/m3 in the afternoon at health center 1. At health center 2, the average bacterial load was 859 cfu/ m3 in the morning and 755.75 cfu/ m3 in the afternoon. At Health Center 3, the bacterial averages were 807.67 cfu/ m3 and 1317.59 cfu/ m3 for morning and afternoon sampling times, respectively. Isolated bacteria were identified by morphological characteristics, gram staining and biochemical tests were also carried out. The bacterial isolates included Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Micrococcus spp., Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., Proteus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter aerogenes. Favorable conditions and environmental factors for the growth and multiplication of bacterial microbes in the air, like ventilation, lower temperature, poor sanitation, sanitation, attached toilets, and frequency of persons present, were observed during the survey. The findings contribute to an array of nosocomial infections that can be detrimental in severe cases.