Does using outpatient room air for bleomycin foam preparation increase the risk of infection?

Objective To evaluate whether the risk of infections is increased with the use of air from outpatient rooms to prepare bleomycin foam. Methods Settling plates were adopted to collect bacteria from outpatient room air, operating theatre air, human serum albumin, bleomycin solution and bleomycin foam prepared with both outpatient room and operating theatre air. The plates were placed in an incubator at 37°C for 48 h, and the number of bacterial colonies was recorded using colony-forming units. The results were analysed by the t-test. A retrospective study was then performed to evaluate the outpatient safety of bleomycin foam. Results The number of colony-forming units in the bleomycin foam produced using both operating and outpatient room air was very low, with no statistic difference. No infection cases were reported in clinical evaluation. Conclusion Using the air from outpatient treatment rooms for bleomycin foam preparation does not increase the risk of infections.