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IAQ is a significant issue in health care. Airborne organisms common in the environment can pose a serious threat to a patient who is immune-compromised. A patient ill with a respiratory infection can spread dangerous microbes to other patients, staff, and visitors. Yet, it's easy to understand the steps required to establish, monitor, and maintain safe, comfortable air quality and prevent airborne nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.
To deliver IAQ appropriate for an environment of care, facility managers, contractors, and maintenance personnel should take action in four areas:
1. Set up administrative controls. These are policies and procedures to identify and manage risk.
2. Understand facility function and design requirements. For instance, hospitals must provide contaminant control facilities to protect immune-compromised patients and isolate those with infections that can be spread through the air, such as tuberculosis.
3. Monitor and document air quality and system performance to guide system operation and maintenance.
4. Develop contingency plans to guide responses when construction and renovation projects arise or emergencies occur, such as leaks, spills, and floods.
The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has outlined some basic environment of care standards:
* Hospitals must assess and control risks, including those related to HVAC and other utility systems.
* They must regularly inspect, test, and maintain those systems.
* They must design, install, and maintain ventilation equipment to serve airborne contaminant control facilities, and document their maintenance activities.
In addition, hospitals are expected to carefully assess the risks construction activity raises for air quality and infection control. Bottom line: There is plenty to consider in order to maintain appropriate IAQ in a health care surrounding.
ESTABLISHING PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Some medical procedures and patient conditions increase risk of exposure to airborne microorganisms. Air quality management is vital in reducing these risks.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides detailed hospital room guidelines for managing the risk of airborne infection:
* Operating rooms: In operating rooms, patient tissues and organs are exposed to the air, creating opportunity for airborne microbes to enter the surgical site. In addition, use of cautery and lasers can release materials and organisms into the atmosphere. An effective operating room ventilation system introduces HEPA-filtered air through laminar flow from the ceiling and removes exhaust...