Microbiological Air Quality in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems of Surgical and Intensive Care Areas: The Application of a Disinfection Procedure for Dehumidification Devices

Totaro, Michele; Costa, Anna Laura; Casini, Beatrice; Profeti, S.; Frendo, Lorenzo; Valentini, Paola; Privitera, Gaetano Pierpaolo; Baggiani, Angelo

doi:10.3390/pathogens8010008

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Nevertheless, the NTD system reduced the number of microorganisms to even lower levels. Our results are in line with a previous study in which another NDS system based on hydrogen peroxide and silver cations was used to decontaminate hospital ventilation systems [ 28 ]. In that study, contamination with Aspergillus fumigatus was eradicated after disinfection.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

No-Touch Automated Room Disinfection after Autopsies of Exhumed Corpses

et al. 2020

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Autopsies of exhumed bodies pose a risk of infections with environmental bacteria or fungi, which may be life-threatening. Thus, it is important to use effective methods of disinfection in forensic pathology facilities. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of no-touch automated disinfection (NTD) system after autopsies of exhumed bodies. Directly after 11 autopsies of exhumed bodies, we used an NTD system based on a peroxone vapor to disinfect the air and surfaces. We measured microbial burden in the air and on surfaces before and after NTD. The NTD system reduced the mean bacterial burden in the air from 171 colony forming units (CFU)/m3 to 3CFU/m3. The mean fungal burden in the air decreased from 221 CFU/m3 to 9CFU/m3. The mean all-surface microbial burden was 79 CFU/100 cm2 after all autopsies, and it decreased to 2 CFU/100 cm2 after NTD. In conclusion, the peroxone-based NTD system was effective for decontamination of the air and surfaces in a dissecting room after autopsies of exhumed bodies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

No-Touch Automated Room Disinfection after Autopsies of Exhumed Corpses

et al. 2020

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“…For areas where HEPA filters are currently not available, possible substitutes to improve air hygiene are: lamps with germicidal ultraviolet irradiation, increasing room ventilation rates, and less widely applied, generation of hydrogen peroxide mists stabilised with silver ions [51][52][53][54][55][56]. Microbial contamination of room air and risks of transmission can be reduced to a minimum by regular implementation of disinfection measures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of air-conditioning systems in the public areas of hospitals: A scoping review

Dai

et al. 2021

Epidemiol. Infect.

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Almost all hospitals are equipped with air-conditioning systems to provide a comfortable environment for patients and staff. However, the accumulation of dust and moisture within these systems increases the risk of transmission of microbes and have on occasion been associated with outbreaks of infection. Nevertheless, the impact of air-conditioning on the transmission of microorganisms leading to infection remains largely uncertain. We conducted a scoping review to screen systematically the evidence for such an association in the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic. PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were explored for relevant studies addressing microbial contamination of the air, their transmission and association with infectious diseases. The review process yielded 21 publications, 17 of which were cross-sectional studies, three were cohort studies and one case−control study. Our analysis showed that, compared with naturally ventilated areas, microbial loads were significantly lower in air-conditioned areas, but the incidence of infections increased if not properly managed. The use of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration not only decreased transmission of airborne bioaerosols and various microorganisms, but also reduced the risk of infections. By contrast, contaminated air-conditioning systems in hospital rooms were associated with a higher risk of patient infection. Cleaning and maintenance of such systems to recommended standards should be performed regularly and where appropriate, the installation of HEPA filters can effectively mitigate microbial contamination in the public areas of hospitals.

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“…Once bacteria, moulds or allergens enter a building, air handling systems (HVAC) control their spread, aid in their removal from the system in both droplet-borne (pertussis, influenza, coronavirus, Staphylococcus aureus) and airborne diseases (tuberculosis, Aspergillus, norovirus, varicella zoster virus) [16,[29][30][31]. This is achieved either by 'diluting' the pathogen (dilution ventilation) or by removing the pathogen (exhaust ventilation) [3,16,30,32,33]. An improperly maintained HVAC system can be a continuing source of contamination, an example of which is the growth of moulds and other fungi in damp and wet surfaces such as cooling coils, humidifiers, condensate pans and filters [17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

Section: Clinical Importance Of Hvac Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in intensive care unit

et al. 2020

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The aim of this review is to describe variation in standards and guidelines on 'heating, ventilation and airconditioning (HVAC)' system maintenance in the intensive care units, across the world, which is required to maintain good 'indoor air quality' as an important non-pharmacological strategy in preventing hospital-acquired infections. Health Technical Memorandum 2025 (HTM) and Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) along with various national expert committee consensus statements, regional and hospital-based protocols available in a public domain were retrieved. Selected publications and textbooks describing HVAC structural aspects were also reviewed, and we described the basic structural details of HVAC system as well as variations in the practised standards of HVAC system in the ICU, worldwide. In summary, there is a need of universal standards for HVAC system with a specific mention on the type of ICU, which should be incorporated into existing infection control practice guidelines.

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Microbiological Air Quality in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems of Surgical and Intensive Care Areas: The Application of a Disinfection Procedure for Dehumidification Devices

Cited by 16 publications

References 22 publications

No-Touch Automated Room Disinfection after Autopsies of Exhumed Corpses

No-Touch Automated Room Disinfection after Autopsies of Exhumed Corpses

Effects of air-conditioning systems in the public areas of hospitals: A scoping review

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in intensive care unit

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