Air Care: an ‘aerography’ of breath, buildings and bugs in the cystic fibrosis clinic
2020
Sociology of Health and Illness
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 42
Pages 972-986
Author(s): Brown, N., Buse, C., Lewis, A., Martin, D., Nettleton, S.
Research in medical humanities works on hospital architecture demonstrates the historical significance of spatial design for airflow and air exchange from the pre-antibiotic period until the present. The spatial and atmospheric design of hospitals is conceived while paying attention to the prevention of the spread of airborne infections, e.g., cystic fibrosis (CF).
Added April 2020
Airflow patterns through a sliding door during opening and foot traffic in operating rooms
2016
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Villafruela, J. M., San José, J. F., Castro, F., Zarzuelo, A.
Operating rooms (ORs) often have higher air pressure than nearby rooms to prevent potentially contaminated air from entering the OR and causing infection. Opening the door during an operation may cause a change in pressure; further change in pressure may occur if a person moves through the door.
Added February 2020
Particle control reduces fine and ultrafine particles greater than HEPA filtration in live operating rooms and kills biologic warfare surrogate
2020
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Author(s): Ereth, M. H., Hess, D. H., Driscoll, A., Hernandez, M., Stamatatos, F.
Modern buildings tend to feature more insulation and tighter building envelopes, which can increase concentrations of indoor pathogens, particles, and pollutants. This can lead to higher rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), making the control of indoor air quality critically important.
Added January 2020
Relationship between Environmental Conditions and Nosocomial Infection Rates in Intensive Care Unit
2017
Medical Journal of Islamic World Academy of Sciences
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 25
Pages 15–18
Author(s): Şimşek, E. M., Grassie, S. S., Emre, C., Gevrek, S. Ç.
Due to the highly vulnerable state of the patients populating intensive care units (ICUs) and the health risks posed to healthcare providers working in ICUs, special attention must be given to the causes and effects of nosocomial infections within these areas.
Added June 2017
Different Types of Door-Opening Motions as Contributing Factors to Containment Failures in Hospital Isolation Rooms
2013
PLOS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 8
Pages e66663
Author(s): Tang, J. W., Nicolle, A., Pantelic, J., Klettner, C. A., Su, R., Kalliomaki, P., Saarinen, P., Koskela, H., Reijula, K., Mustakallio, P., Cheong, D. K. W., Sekhar, C., Tham, K. W., Costa, C.
When under negative pressure, hospital isolation rooms are essential for both the containment of patients emitting airborne infectious agents as well as the protection of other patients from these agents. A plethora of different doors are used in the construction of these rooms, but relatively few studies have analyzed how certain door-opening motions and the passage of healthcare workers through these doors can affect the overall performance of isolation rooms.
Added December 2016
Secondary exposure risks to patients in an airborne isolation room: Implications for anteroom design
2016
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Mousavi, E. S., Grosskopf, K. R.
Previous research has shown that negatively pressurized Airborne Infectious Isolation Rooms (AIIRs) can protect hospitals from fatal airborne pathogens such as tuberculosis. But this use of negative pressurization can simultaneously increase the chances of isolated patients contracting secondary infections, or healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), caused by air blowing in from adjacent spaces. Research is needed to better assess the actual likelihood of secondary infections occurring in these scenarios so that steps can be taken to mitigate these risks.
Added December 2016
Impact of the Physical Environment of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities (RHCSF) on Staff and Residents A Systematic Review of the Literature
2015
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 48
Pages 1203-1241
Author(s): Joseph, A., Choi, Y.-S., Quan, X.
Strategies related to the design of the built environment should be considered within the context of the culture of the organization and the resident population. This study of the physical environment of residential health, care, and support facilities addresses the range of settings and population, where other studies have been lacking. The literature review strongly suggests that the built environment is an important component of care provided in residential care settings.
Added May 2016
Exploring Perceptions of Designers and Medical Staff in South Korea about Design Elements for the Elder-Friendly Hospital
2014
Journal of Interior Design
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 39
Pages 15-32
Author(s): Kim, D., Lee, J. H., Ha, M.
The elderly population is growing around the world and so is the geriatric patient population. The authors indicate that despite the fact that the elderly will soon be the primary users of healthcare services, healthcare facilities are not designed for the elderly. In this study, designers and medical staff were asked to rate the importance of 33 design elements in the context of an elder-friendly hospital.
Added August 2015
Experimental analysis of the transport of airborne contaminants between adjacent rooms at different pressure due to the door opening
2014
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Fontana, L., Quintino, A.
Creating pressurization and depressurization spaces in hospitals is practiced to control airborne contamination. The authors indicate that the literature suggests that turbulence created by the opening and closing of doors between spaces of different pressure allows for the difference in pressure to be overcome and consequently for the transfer of contaminated air into the clean area.
Added May 2015
Measurement of ventilation and airborne infection risk in large naturally ventilated hospital wards
2013
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Gilkeson, C. A., Camargo-Valero, M. A., Pickin, L. E., Noakes, C. J.
In healthcare environments, the transmission of airborne pathogens is a matter of concern. Ventilation has been identified as one of the key factors in the risk of infection. The authors indicate that most of the evidence on ventilation and infection risk has been in controlled spaces like operating rooms and isolation rooms, and that naturally ventilated spaces like wards have not been studied. They conducted a series of experiments in an unused ward to measure the transmission of pathogens in conditions of natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and no ventilation.
Added March 2015
HVAC filtration for controlling infectious airborne disease transmission in indoor environments: Predicting risk reductions and operational costs
2013
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Azimi, P., Stephens, B.
The airborne transmission of infectious pathogens in indoor environments is a matter of concern. The authors refer to different operational and design strategies being used in different buildings to control/limit the spread of these pathogens.
Added March 2015
The influence of human walking on the flow and airborne transmission in a six-bed isolation room: Tracer gas simulation
2014
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Hang, J., Li, Y., Jin, R.
The authors allude to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS and influenza in hospital wards to emphasize the need to protect healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-infected patients. According to the authors, literature indicates that movement of HCWs in hospital wards contributes to the transmission of airborne contaminants. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to simulate the movement of a HCW in an isolation ward and its impact on airborne transmission.
Added March 2015
Healing environment: A review of the impact of physical environmental factors on users
2012
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Huisman, E. R. C. M., Morales, E., van Hoof, J., Kort, H. S. M.
According to the authors, research that examines the physical environment and its impact on the healing and well-being of human beings has been growing in the last several years. There is increasing availability of literature on evidence-based design.
Added March 2015
Numerical investigation of different airflow schemes in a real operating theatre
2015
Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering
Journal Article
Issue 02
Volume 8
Pages 73-89
Author(s): Balocco, C., Petrone, G., Cammarata, G.
Efficiency of a ventilation system in providing an effective airflow that contributes to the removal of contaminants (pathogens, anesthetic gases, carbon dioxide, etc.) is crucial to alleviating the risk of surgical site infection, protecting patients and staff from infection, and in ensuring thermal comfort to the occupants in operating theatres (OTs).
Added February 2015
Does a mobile laminar airflow screen reduce bacterial contamination in the operating room? A numerical study using computational fluid dynamics technique
2014
Patient Safety in Surgery
Journal Article
Author(s): Sadrizadeh, S., Tammelin, A., Nielsen, P. V., Holmberg, S.
Surgical-site infections (SSIs) can increase patient morbidity and mortality and extend hospitalization time. Operating room (OR) personnel are the main source of airborne bacteria; a person releases roughly 104 skin scales per minute while walking, 10% of which carry bacteria, although up to 12 times as many microorganisms may be discharged depending on the individual and situation. Bacteria in the OR might contaminate a surgical wound through contact with the air or through contaminated surgical instruments.
Added November 2014
Physical Environment Provisions of USP “Pharmaceutical Compounding—Sterile Preparations”
2012
American Society for Healthcare Engineering
Journal Article
Author(s): Beebe, C.
USP <797> reports standards and policies for all physical environments in which compounded sterile preparations (CSPs) are prepared, packaged, and stored. The standards apply specifically to people who prepare CSPs and must take care to reduce the risk of contamination from their behaviors, hygiene, and clothing (i.e., garb). Clinical workers whose work lies within this realm must be individually trained and evaluated to maintain the standards and reduce microbial contamination that results from contact.
Added September 2014
Process Simulation during the Design Process Makes the Difference: Process Simulations Applied to a Traditional Design
2013
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 6
Pages 58-76
Author(s): Traversari, R., Goedhart, R., Schraagen, J. M.
Minimal evidence exists regarding the design implications of using process simulation to assist in the process of designing new operating room (OR) layouts. While the traditional design process for OR layout does incorporate the experiences and insights of users, functionality testing of the OR environment is usually conducted post occupancy.
Added September 2014
A decade of adult intensive care unit design: a study of the physical design features of the best-practice examples
2006
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 29
Pages 282-311
Author(s): Rashid, M., Abushousheh, A.
This article reports a study of the physical design characteristics of a set of adult intensive care units (ICUs), built between 1993 and 2003. These ICUs were recognized as the best-practice examples by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the American Institute of Architects.
Added July 2014
Nurses’ Perception of Single-Occupancy Versus Multioccupancy Rooms in Acute Care Environments: An Exploratory Comparative Assessment
2006
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 19
Pages 118-125
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
As people are living longer and the baby boomers age, the demand for hospital beds will increase. As new facilities are built to handle this influx of patients, the challenge for hospital designers and administrators is to design patient rooms that promote therapeutic goals, foster positive patient outcomes, and function as intensive care rooms. Recent research suggests that single-occupancy rooms are more suitable for infection control and patient care than multioccupancy rooms. However, no research has been done about nursing staff members’ perception of single-occupancy and multioccupancy patient rooms in acute care settings as it relates to patient care.
Added April 2014
Outbreak of Invasive Aspergillus Infection in Surgical Patients, Associated with a Contaminated Air-Handling System
2003
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 37
Pages 786-793
Author(s): Lutz, B. D., Jin, J., Rinaldi, M. G., Wickes, B. L., Huycke, M.
Surgical Site Infections are a prominent concern Operating Room design. In this study a specific outbreak of aspergillus infection in a hospital was investigated and linked back to the air quality conditions in the O.R. The study is significant because typically Aspergillus species are ubiquitous thermotolerant molds that rarely cause invasive infection.
Added November 2012