Abstract

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON ANTI-MICROBIAL EFFICACY OF DHOOPANA IN MICROBIOLOGY UNIT OF LABORATORY

Geetanjali Sahu*, Neha Chauhan, Reetu Sharma and Manita Ahlawat

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Abstract

Sterilization is the process of freeing an article, a surface or a medium of all micro-organisms both in vegetative and in spore states by removing or killing them. One of the earliest attempts to prevent infections were made by the Egyptians (2400 BC) who used copper as sterilization agent for wounds and water. Ayurveda, which is way older than our contemporary science, deals with both preventive and curative aspects of diseases, various Acharya’s has advised Nirjantukikaran which is an equivalent term for Sterilization. Various classics of Ayurveda mentioned various Dhoopana formulations with Rakhoghna dravya’s for the sterilization of OT rooms, surgical wards, neonatal wards and labour rooms to protect patients and health care workers from organisms. Dhoopana is a method of sterilization, wherein fumes produced from the drugs are used to annihilate harmful micro and macro-organisms in a particular area. In the present study, antimicrobial efficacy of traditional fumigation practice has been evaluated by using a formulation named sharsapadi churna dhoopa mentioned in sushruta samhita in the context of sterilization of vranitagara. The fumigation was done for 30 minutes, twice a day for 10 days in microbiology unit of laboratory situated at National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur and the results obtained after 10 days were quite satisfactory. There is a general belief that Ayurveda is stagnant, not progressive, and not changing with the times. But the results of this particular study strongly suggested that the traditional Ayurvedic fumigation with natural plant products is effective in reducing air-borne bacteria and in disinfecting inanimate surfaces as well. This traditional fumigation with herbal products has huge potential to address the problem of nosocomial infections and need to be well explored.

Keywords: Sterilization, Ayurveda, Nirjantukikaran, Dhoopana, Rakshoghna, nosocomial infections.