Advances in control of the surgical environment
have made today’s hospital a model
of sterility as compared to those of the 19th
century. The bacterial counts from the air
of uninhabited rooms are now virtually nil,
but rise as soon as human activity begins,
and the counts are proportionate to the acti~ity.’,~,~
Although the question remains as to the
pathogenicity of these organisms, they cannot
be ignored as potential infmtors. Becom