Urška Rozman

By Urška Rozman and Sonja Šostar Turk

Discipline of molecular ecology and molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) offers a possibility to study and reveal the microbial diversity in environmental settings with complicated mixed communities, non-culturable organisms, interfering contaminants and low levels of target DNA. Hospital environment represents a new ecological niche for clinically important nosocomial pathogens and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, which have been commonly found on various hospital surfaces. Accurate characterization of microbial communities depends on several factors, starting with sample collection and conditional enrichment step. In the step of nucleic acid isolation and purification, the DNA, as a dominant signature molecule, is extracted followed by removing co-extracted impurities. PCR target sequences are often 16S rDNA gene, functional gene probes or species-specific probes, depending on the objective of the study. Furthermore, properly prepared PCR amplicons can serve as a basis for characterizing microbial community. The PCR technique is a powerful tool for the analysis of microbial diversity of environmental ecosystems. In a hospital environment, advantages of detecting pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria need to be pointed out.

Part of the book: Polymerase Chain Reaction for Biomedical Applications

By Urška Rozman, Daniela Zavec Pavlinić, Emil Pal, Vida Gönc and Sonja Šostar Turk

Antimicrobial finishing of textiles protects users from pathogenic microorganisms, which can cause medical and hygienic problem. The use of such textiles particularly increases in healthcare facilities, where reduction and transmission of pathogenic bacteria are important factors for preventing nosocomial infections. In the present study, the efficiency of fabric with silane quaternary ammonium compounds (Si-QAC) applied as active agents was evaluated. A test was performed according to ATCC 100-1999 Test Method after 0-, 24- and 48-hour incubation times. The treated textiles were effective against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, but were not effective for Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Testing was also performed in hospital environment at infectious department where working clothes made of treated fabric were compared to normal working clothes. Antimicrobial textiles were not effective in a hospital environment, where average microbial count on medical workers’ uniforms without antimicrobial protection was 1.4 × 109 cfu/mL, and 1.3 × 109 cfu/mL for uniforms made of antimicrobial material. Our conclusion is that quantities of application rates for Si-QAC should be higher or should be improved with applying another antimicrobial coating to obtain complex with dual activity.

Part of the book: Textiles for Advanced Applications