The Index of Microbial Air Contamination in Dental Clinics: A Review and Meta-Analysis
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In dental clinics the risk of airborne infection is relevant. Microbiological air monitoring is a useful tool for evaluating the effectiveness of preventive measures and identifying at-risk situations. Active and passive sampling can be used to assess microbial air contamina-tion; however, optimal sampling methods and reference threshold values have not been established. Passive sampling has been standardized by the Index of Microbial Air con-tamination (IMA). This study aimed to review the use of the IMA standard for air quality assessment in dental clinics proposing IMA threshold values based on a meta-analysis. Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were analyzed for articles published until April 30, 2024, citing “Pasquarella C., et al., The index of microbial air contamination. J Hosp Infect 2000”. After applying the inclusion criteria, nine studies were considered. The mean IMA values before, during, and after dental procedures ranged from 2.4 to 38.3, 19 to 53.3, and 13 to 20, respectively. Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis, which had mean IMA values of 15.4, 33, and 16.7, respectively. Due to the ease of use, low cost, and com-parability of results, the IMA standard is recommended for the routine monitoring of mi-crobial air contamination.