Abstract

SANCHEZ C, Juan Paulo; ARIAS ECHANDI, María; ARMENTA PRADA, Johnny  and  SALAS SEGURA, Donato. Germicidal ultraviolet light and environmental control of microorganisms in hospitals. Rev. costarric. salud pública [online]. 2012, vol.21, n.1, pp.19-22. ISSN 1409-1429.

Objective: To evaluate the germicidal effect of ultraviolet radiation on environmental microorganisms and on the environmental conditions of the Intensive Care Unit at the Calderón Guardia Hospital. Methods: The Intensive Care Unit at the Calderon Guardia Hospital has fourteen single rooms; of which two adjacent rooms were selected for the study. In every room a protected germicidal UV lamp was hung, two feet from the air inlet of the air conditioner in the top of the room, and a third room was used as control. Duplicate samples were used as culture medium for bacteria using Petri dishes (blood agar) and fungi (potato dextrose agar “PDA”) before turning on the UV lamps and 5 hours after being turned on. Result: Environmental concentrations of total aerobic flora were found to be not acceptable for an Intensive Care Unit in rooms 1 and 3. The use of ultraviolet germicidal lamp was totally effective for fungi but not on bacteria, but it significantly improved air quality of the rooms, reaching clean environmental values. Discussion: The best way to keep vulnerable patient areas as free as possible from microorganisms is to assure the proper functioning of air conditioning systems, having an automatic and air-tight door-closing system, limiting the number of entering personnel, establishing and maintaining cleaning and hand-washing protocols, and using germicidal and protected ultraviolet lights, making sure that air flow is through these lamps, in order to achieve a maximum impact.

Keywords : Ultraviolet rays (UVGI); cross infections; Intensive Care; Costa Rica.

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