scholarly journals Microbial Air Quality in Healthcare Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6226
Author(s):  
Lucia Bonadonna ◽  
Rossella Briancesco ◽  
Anna Maria Coccia ◽  
Pierluigi Meloni ◽  
Giuseppina La Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Critical Conditions ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Hospital Environments ◽  
Quality In Healthcare

There is increasing evidence that indoor air quality and contaminated surfaces provide an important potential source for transmission of pathogens in hospitals. Airborne hospital microorganisms are apparently harmless to healthy people. Nevertheless, healthcare settings are characterized by different environmental critical conditions and high infective risk, mainly due to the compromised immunologic conditions of the patients that make them more vulnerable to infections. Thus, spread, survival and persistence of microbial communities are important factors in hospital environments affecting health of inpatients as well as of medical and nursing staff. In this paper, airborne and aerosolized microorganisms and their presence in hospital environments are taken into consideration, and the factors that collectively contribute to defining the infection risk in these facilities are illustrated.

scholarly journals The Relevance of Indoor Air Quality in Hospital Settings: From an Exclusively Biological Issue to a Global Approach in the Italian Context

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
Gaetano Settimo ◽  
Marco Gola ◽  
Stefano Capolongo
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Global Approach ◽  
Health It ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Italian Context ◽  
Quality In Healthcare

In the context of the architectures for health, it is an utmost priority to operate a regular and continuous updating of quality, efficacy, and efficiency’s processes. In fact, health promotion and prevention take place through a proper management and design of healing spaces, in particular with regard to the most sensitive users. In recent decades, there has been increasing attention to indoor air quality in healthcare facilities. Nowadays, this issue must involve the implementation of a series of appropriate interventions, with a global approach of prevention and reduction of risk factors on users’ health, which allows, in addition to a correct management of hospital settings, the realization of concrete actions. To date, in Italy, despite the indoor air being taken in consideration in numerous activities and studies aimed at understanding both building hygiene and environmental aspects, the greatest difficulty is strongly related to the absence of an integrated national policy. The scope of the paper is to underline the relevance of indoor air quality in hospital settings, highlighting the need of procedures, protocols, and tools for strengthening and improving interventions for health prevention, protection, and promotion of users.

Improvement of indoor air quality in healthcare settings during COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abderrahim Lakhouit ◽  
Hanaa Hachimi ◽  
Chakib El Mokhi ◽  
Adnane Addaim ◽  
Mohamed Kaicer
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Ventilation Mode ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Different Types ◽  
American Society ◽  
Quality In Healthcare ◽  
The Impact

UNSTRUCTURED This study investigates the importance of using engineering ventilation in healthcare settings, especially during widespread disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. Ventilation can be used to improve indoor air quality in care homes, hospitals, and quarantine locations. Although there are several different types of engineering ventilation, mechanical ventilation is most suitable for reducing the impact and spread of COVID-19 in healthcare and other facilities. However, this ventilation mode should be designed according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), with the minimum exhaust air flow measuring 5 liters per second per square meter.

scholarly journals Indoor Air Quality in Healthcare Units—A Systematic Literature Review Focusing Recent Research

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 967
Author(s):  
Ana Fonseca ◽  
Isabel Abreu ◽  
Maria João Guerreiro ◽  
Nelson Barros
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Environmental Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Research Interest ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Quality In Healthcare

The adequate assessment and management of indoor air quality in healthcare facilities is of utmost importance for patient safety and occupational health purposes. This study aims to identify the recent trends of research on the topic through a systematic literature review following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology. A total of 171 articles published in the period 2015–2020 were selected and analyzed. Results show that there is a worldwide growing research interest in this subject, dispersed in a wide variety of scientific journals. A textometric analysis using the IRaMuTeQ software revealed four clusters of topics in the sampled articles: physicochemical pollutants, design and management of infrastructures, environmental control measures, and microbiological contamination. The studies focus mainly on hospital facilities, but there is also research interest in primary care centers and dental clinics. The majority of the analyzed articles (85%) report experimental data, with the most frequently measured parameters being related to environmental quality (temperature and relative humidity), microbiological load, CO2 and particulate matter. Non-compliance with the WHO guidelines for indoor air quality is frequently reported. This study provides an overview of the recent literature on this topic, identifying promising lines of research to improve indoor air quality in healthcare facilities.

Asthma-related respiratory symptoms associated with indoor air quality in healthcare facilities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul K. Henneberger ◽  
Steven Rollins ◽  
Michael Humann ◽  
Xioaming Liang ◽  
Feng-Chiao Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Quality In Healthcare

Investigation on Indoor Air Quality of Public Sites in Tainan Area

2011 ◽  
Vol 255-260 ◽  
pp. 1413-1417
Author(s):  
Yi Tun Wang ◽  
Jui Chi Chiu ◽  
Yi Chyun Hsu ◽  
Ting Nien Wu ◽  
Yun Hwei Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Air Contaminants ◽  
Fitness Center ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Crowd Control ◽  
Hospital School

This study selected 21 representative public sites for the survey of indoor air quality in Tainan area, including hospital, school, fitness center, government office, library, theater, transport station, and supermarket. Indoor air quality was first assessed by direct detection apparatus, including CO2, CO, HCHO, TVOCs, bacteria, fungi, PM10, PM2.5, O3 and temperature. Based on the results of walk-through detection, the spatial distribution of indoor air contaminants was further measured in a 24 hour period by the EPA standard method. The detailed measurements illustrated HCHO, O3, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations are lower than the suggested threshold levels in all public sites. CO2 concentrations at hospitals and school are all exceeding category 1 threshold of 600 ppm. Bacteria exceeding the suggested threshold of 500 CFU/m3 for category 1 and 1000 CFU/m3 for category 2 is popular at most public sites. One fitness center was found exceeding the TVOCs threshold of 3 ppm, and outdoor air can be a potential source. The high levels of CO2 and bacteria were a common indoor air quality problem, and the regulated strategy of crowd control and air conditioning management was required for a healthy indoor environment.

scholarly journals Indoor Air Quality Evaluation Using Mechanical Ventilation and Portable Air Purifiers in an Academic Dentistry Clinic during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Tzoutzas ◽  
Helena C. Maltezou ◽  
Nikolaos Barmparesos ◽  
Panagiotis Tasios ◽  
Chrysanthi Efthymiou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Healthcare Settings

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is mainly transmitted through droplets without overlooking other sources of transmission, rendered attention on the air quality in indoor areas and more specifically in healthcare settings. The improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ) is ensured by frequent changes of the air that must be carried out in healthcare areas and with assistance from special devices that undertake the filtration of the air and its purification through special filters and lamps. In this research, the performance of air purifiers is assessed in terms of the limitation of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs and CO2 in a postgraduate clinic of the Dentistry School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in parallel with mechanical ventilation. Our findings indicate that the use of mechanical ventilation plays a key role on the results, retaining good IAQ levels within the clinic and that air purifiers show a positive impact on IAQ by mainly reducing the levels of PM2.5 and secondly of TVOC.

scholarly journals Chemical Pollution in Healing Spaces: The Decalogue of the Best Practices for Adequate Indoor Air Quality in Inpatient Rooms

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Gola ◽  
Gaetano Settimo ◽  
Stefano Capolongo
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Interdisciplinary Knowledge ◽  
Management Decision Making ◽  
Reported Data

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the main topics in which governments are focusing. In healthcare facilities, several studies have reported data analysis and case studies to improve users’ health. Nowadays, although many studies have been conducted related to the biological and physical risks, the chemical risks have been less investigated and only in some specific functional areas of the hospitals. Starting from some systematic reviews and research works, this paper aims to list the best healthy practices for an adequate IAQ in inpatient wards. In particular, the decalogue lists the strategies related to chemical pollution, starting from design and management, with a focus on (a) localization of hospitals and inpatient rooms, (b) hospital room, (c) microclimatic parameters, (d) ventilation systems, (e) materials and finishing, (f) furniture and equipment, (g) cleaning products and activities, (h) maintenance and (i) management activities, and (l) users and workers. The multidisciplinary approach emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills aimed to find solutions able to protect users’ health status. The design and management decision-making, ranging from the adequate choices of construction site and hospital exposure, finishing materials, cleaning and maintenance activities, etc., which can affect the IAQ must be carried out based on scientific research and data analysis.

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