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Several studies have reported poor indoor air quality ( IAQ) in day care centers ( DCCs), and other studies have shown that children attending them have an increased risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between ventilation in DCCs and sick leave among nursery children. Data on child sick leave within an 11-week period were obtained for 635 children attending 20 DCCs. Ventilation measurements included three proxies of ventilation: air exchange rate ( ACR) measured with the decay method, ACR measured by the perfluorocarbon tracer gas ( PFT) method, and CO2 concentration measured over a 1-week period. All but two DCCs had balanced mechanical ventilation system, which could explain the low CO2 levels measured. The mean concentration of CO2 was 643 ppm, exceeding 1000 ppm in only one DCC. A statistically significant inverse relationship between the number of sick days and ACR measured with the decay method was found for crude and adjusted analysis, with a 12% decrease in number of sick days per hour increase in ACR measured with the decay method. This study suggests a relationship between sick leave among nursery children and ventilation in DCCs, as measured with the decay method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sampling in hospitals is becoming increasingly important because of the rise in nosocomial infections. In order to monitor and track these infections and optimize cleaning and disinfection, we need to be able to locate the fomites with the highest amount of microorganisms, but the optimal method for this is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate which of four different dipslides or a standard TSA contact plate were best at recovering human bacteria from the environment. We tested four different dipslides with selective and non-selective agars versus a standard TSA contact plate in order to find the best sampling media. Two hundred sites in a children's medical ward in Copenhagen University hospital were sampled in autumn 2012. There was no difference in total bacteria count between the TSA contact plate and the dipslides. Faecal indicator bacteria recovery was the same for the dipslides and the TSA contact plate. Dipslides may be equally well suited for environmental sampling and hygiene assessment as TSA contact plates. Dipslides have some advantages, such as better sample security, easier sampling in confined spaces and longer shelf life that may speak in favour of choosing these for bacteria environmental sampling in hospitals, depending on the task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]