Biomaterial Database

[Behaviour of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in dry and moist atmosphere (author's transl)]. 1978

N Dickgiesser

The results of bacteriologic environmental studies show the frequently appearance of Staphylococci in dry and of Pseudomonas in moist atmosphere. There is a small frequency of Enterobacteriaceae in both cases. Therefore experiments are done about the behaviour in dry atmosphere of 5 different strains of Staph. aureus, Strept. faecalis, E. coli, Kl. pneumoniae, S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa. The bacterial suspensions are scored on aluminium foil and exposed at room temperature and constant air-moisture. The results show Enterobacteriaceae more sensitive for drying as Staph. aureus and Strept. faecalis. In dry atmosphere Pseudomonas is nearly not able to survive. In contrary to the other examined bacteria only Staphylococcus can be transfered by air or dust. The behaviour in moist environment is examined at room temperature in aqua bidest. and sterile tap-water. In both liquids only S. marcescens is able to grow. It is conspicous that P. aeruginosa dies off in aqua bidest, within 4 d while it is able to grow in tap-water. In tap-water the initial colony count of E. coli keeps constant, but in aqua bidest. E. coli is no more present after 24 d. In both liquids, Staph. aureus and Strept. faecalis have limited surviving rates: Staph. aureus can't be cultured in aqua bidest, after 5 d, in tap-water after 7 d, Strept. faecalis survive 11 and 10 d respectively. Additional the behaviour in tap-water is examined at 30 degrees C and 40 degrees C. These temperatures are characteristic for ultrasonic nebulizers and humidifiers respectively. At both temperatures only P. aeruginosa is able to grow. The other bacteria--including S. marcesens--die off at 30 degrees C and even faster at 40 degrees C. Furthermore mixed cultures are made with 5 strains each of Staph. aureus (= St), Strept. faecalis (= Sf), E. coli (= Ec), S. marcescens (= Se) and P. aeruginosa (= Pa) which formed the following groups: St/Sf, St/Ec, St/Se, St/Pa, Sf/Ec, Sf/Se, Sf/Pa, Ec/Se, Ec/Pa, Se/Pa. The examinations are done in aqua bidest. and tap-water at room temperature. Additional the behaviour in tap-water at 30 degrees C and 40 degrees C was tested. A mutual influence cannot be found. It is the conclusion to use the humidifiers and nebulizers with sterile aqua bidest. only and to prefer the humidifiers to the nebulizers.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D004865	Equipment and Supplies, Hospital	Any materials used in providing care specifically in the hospital.	Hospital Equipment and Supplies,Equipment, Hospital,Hospital Equipment,Hospital Supplies,Supplies, Hospital,Supply, Hospital,Hospital Supply
D005658	Fungi	A kingdom of eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that live parasitically as saprobes, including MUSHROOMS; YEASTS; smuts, molds, etc. They reproduce either sexually or asexually, and have life cycles that range from simple to complex. Filamentous fungi, commonly known as molds, refer to those that grow as multicellular colonies.	Fungi, Filamentous,Molds,Filamentous Fungi,Filamentous Fungus,Fungus,Fungus, Filamentous,Mold
D006761	Hospitals	Institutions with an organized medical staff which provide medical care to patients.	Hospital
D006813	Humidity	A measure of the amount of WATER VAPOR in the air.	Humidities
D006920	Hygiene	The science dealing with the establishment and maintenance of health in the individual and the group. It includes the conditions and practices conducive to health. (Webster, 3d ed)
D000391	Air Microbiology	The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the air. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms.	Microbiology, Air
D001419	Bacteria	One of the three domains of life (the others being Eukarya and ARCHAEA), also called Eubacteria. They are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. Bacteria can be classified by their response to OXYGEN: aerobic, anaerobic, or facultatively anaerobic; by the mode by which they obtain their energy: chemotrophy (via chemical reaction) or PHOTOTROPHY (via light reaction); for chemotrophs by their source of chemical energy: CHEMOLITHOTROPHY (from inorganic compounds) or chemoorganotrophy (from organic compounds); and by their source for CARBON; NITROGEN; etc.; HETEROTROPHY (from organic sources) or AUTOTROPHY (from CARBON DIOXIDE). They can also be classified by whether or not they stain (based on the structure of their CELL WALLS) with CRYSTAL VIOLET dye: gram-negative or gram-positive.	Eubacteria
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D014871	Water Microbiology	The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in water. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms.	Microbiology, Water