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Epidemiological Situation at a Pharmacy.
SCHNEIDEROVÁ, Kateřina
Airborne respiratory infections are among the most frequent diseases. Airborne respiratory infections afflict both children and adults; they can pose a potential threat to persons already suffering from another primary illness or those with impaired immunity. A disease-carrying person transpires pathogens through droplets or biological aerosol when coughing, sneezing or talking. Such ways of illness transmission pose a risk of nosocomial infection dissemination in medical facilities. The objective of this Bachelor's thesis is to quantify microbiological pollution in the indoor environment and evaluate the negative influence, if any, of bacterial contamination on the health of patients occurring at the pharmacy. The laboratory work part of the thesis aimed at the sampling, processing and identification of airborne infection agents at a medical facility (pharmacy) in the period of May 2018 to February 2019. The sampling method used was the method of passive collection (platform settling method). The principle of this method is that microorganisms present in the air settle over blood agar in a Petri dish. The factors evaluated in analyzing microbiological pollution of indoor air included the influences of air temperature and humidity at the pharmacy, as well as the number of persons present at the time of taking the sample. Pursuant to Decree n. 6/2003, which sets hygienic limits for biological indicators in indoor environments of frequented premises in medical facilities, the maximum limit is 500 CFU/m3 (CFU is a unit used to estimate the count of viable bacteria). The counts found during the review period have never reached the limit. The values measured showed that there is a certain degree of positive correlation between the air temperature, air humidity and CFU count per dish. Comparisons between the number of patients and the CFU count per dish demonstrated no distinct cross-correlation between the two factors. As far as the representations of individual groups of identified microorganisms in the samples are concerned, the G+ Staphylococcus spp. group takes a prevalent share, counting for more than 50 % of microorganisms in the samples, and as much as 75 % in some samples. G- rods follow, with a share of as much as 46 %, further followed by G+ diplococcus and tetracoccus bacteria with a share of as much as 43 %. Of the focus pathogens, the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes were confirmed. The results of my bachelor's thesis did not confirm any overlimit microbiological pollution of the pharmacy indoor air or a significant occurrence of bacterial respiration infection agents. In conclusion, in terms of bacterial contagion, indoor air at pharmacies can be seen as a low risk.
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