Demolition activities in a healthcare facility: results from a fungal surveillance after extraordinary preventive measures

Objectives: Aspergillus spp could be responsible of nosocomial aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. In 2018, it was decided to demolish a building of Careggi Hospital (Florence, Italy), the Chief Medical Officer ordered a 9-months-long air and surface microbiological sampling and extraordinary preventive measures.

Study design: A 9-months-long prospective study.

Methods: After mapping the at-risk areas, air and surface samples were collected in different locations: in corridors, in rooms (high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) filtered or not), and outdoors. The samples were collected during the critical phases of the demolition. Air temperature and weather conditions were determined and recorded at the beginning of each sampling.

Results: Seventy-eight air samples and 72 surface samples were collected. The results showed highest contamination at time zero (before extraordinary preventive measures) and in the wards without HEPA filtered air. No specific prophylaxis strategy was implemented at our hospital for immunocompromised patients, and no cases of aspergillosis were recorded.

Conclusions: Our results showed that extraordinary protective measures, the use of air treatment systems, and a continuous monitoring could be associated with decreased Aspergillus air contamination during construction, renovation, or demolition works.