Quantitative and qualitative analysis of microorganisms in an assisted reproductive technology facility.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the environmental microorganisms associated with two assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratories. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. SETTING: Two ART laboratories at Greenville Hospital System (GHS) University Medical Center in Greenville, South Carolina. PATIENT(S): None. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantitative and qualitative analysis of colony-forming units (CFU; bacteria and fungi) and particles from an embryology clean room and an andrology laboratory. RESULT(S): Within these laboratories, three of the sites sampled differed significantly in the mean number of CFU per plate. These sites included external laboratory surfaces, laboratory room air, and air within cell-culture incubators. The mean number of viable CFU per cubic meter of laboratory room air differed significantly between the two laboratories. A total of 23 unique microbial species were isolated from the andrology laboratory, whereas 10 unique species were isolated from the embryology clean room. CONCLUSION(S): The data herein suggest that the increased positive control measures used in the embryology clean room are effective in minimizing environmental biologic contamination.