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Indoor air quality in hospitals: When and how is mould contamination monitored ?

Hospital acquisition prevention of mould infections in high-risk patients can rely both on chemoprophylaxis and on environmental preventive measures. Environmental preventive measures are, therefore, taken in operating rooms and in high-risk units. In particular, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems and positive pressure are useful in hematology wards to minimize ambient mould spore concentrations. Therefore, an environmental surveillance program is often implemented in hospitals in order to assess the efficacy of these preventive measures. However, there is no consensus on when, where and how monitoring of hospital indoor air quality should be undertaken. Here, we propose a survey (with 33 questions) in order to have a picture of the practices in different settings in Europe with the ambition to reach consensus and standardize this practice. Thank you very much for your contribution.

Question 1

Your Institution, city and country:

Question 2

When do you monitor fungal indoor air quality in your hospital ?

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Question 3

Where do you monitor fungal indoor air quality in your hospital ?

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Question 4

How frequently is the air monitored in rooms equipped with HEPA filtration and positive pressure ?

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Question 5

How frequently is the air monitored in operating theaters?

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Question 6

How frequently is the air monitored in non clinical areas (offices, corridors, hospital café etc...)?

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Question 7

What samples are used in your hospital to monitor environmental mould contamination ?

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Question 8

What is the preferred sample used in your hospital to monitor environmental mould contamination ?

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Question 9

How does your hospital sample air ?

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Question 10

What is the air volume that you collect when sampling in location equipped with HEPA filters and positive pressure such as rooms with laminar air flow or operating theaters ?

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Question 11

What is the air volume sampled in other non clinical areas (offices, corridors etc...) ?

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Question 12

Regarding air sampling, what is the number of air samples collected in a room equipped with HEPA filter and positive pressure?

Question 13

Regarding air sampling, what are the locations of air samples collected in a room equipped with HEPA filter and positive pressure?

Question 14

Regarding air sampling in a room equipped with HEPA filter and positive pressure, do you performe paired samples with other areas (other rooms, non clinical areas, outdoor air). Please specify ?

Question 15

How do you sample surfaces for mould contamination ?

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Question 16

If you perform surface monitoring, please specify the surface sampled (in cm²):

Question 17

If you perform surface monitoring, please specify the frequency:

Question 18

Do you perform dust monitoring for moulds detection ?

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Question 19

Do you perform water monitoring for moulds detection ?

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Question 20

Do you perform food monitoring for moulds detection ?

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Question 21

Microbiology. What method(s) of mould detection do you use whatever the sample ?

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Question 22

Microbiology. What culture media do you use for environmental mould monitoring ?

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Question 23

Microbiology. At what temperature(s) do you incubate culture plates for mould monitoring ?
(Jump question 27 if you don't use culture)

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Question 24

How long do you incubate culture plates for mould monitoring ?

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Question 25

Microbiology. If you use only PCR-based methods, please specify your strategy:

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Question 26

Microbiology. What does your report include ?

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Question 27

Interpretation of air samples. When a sample is positive for Aspergillus fumigatus in a patient room equipped with HEPA filtration and positive pressure, what threshold do you use for taking action (please specify the unit)?

Question 28

Interpretation of air samples. When a sample is positive for Aspergillus fumigatus in an operating theater, what threshold do you use for taking action (please specify the unit)?

Question 29

Interpretation of air samples. When a sample is positive for Aspergillus fumigatus in a non clinical area, what threshold do you use for taking action (please specify the unit)?

Question 30

When a sample is positive for Aspergillus fumigatus, do you perform antifungal susceptibility testings ?

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Question 31

When a sample is positive for Aspergillus fumigatus, what results do you expect from antifungal susceptibility testings ?

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mandatory answer

Question 32

Do we have your permission to contact you about your answers to obtain more information or would you like to be informed of the results of the survey?
If yes, please provide your email address.

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Question 33

Thank you for your answers.
Do you have any other comments or questions about this topic?




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