Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment
Summary: Background: As researchers race to understand the nature of COVID-19 transmission, healthcare institutions must treat COVID-19 patients while also safeguarding the health of staff and other patients. One aspect of this process involves mitigating aerosol transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Infection Prevention in Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590088921000597 |
| _version_ | 1828911421538172928 |
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| author | Seth A. Hara Timothy L. Rossman Lukas Johnson Christopher J. Hogan William Sanchez David P. Martin Mark B. Wehde |
| author_facet | Seth A. Hara Timothy L. Rossman Lukas Johnson Christopher J. Hogan William Sanchez David P. Martin Mark B. Wehde |
| author_sort | Seth A. Hara |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Background: As researchers race to understand the nature of COVID-19 transmission, healthcare institutions must treat COVID-19 patients while also safeguarding the health of staff and other patients. One aspect of this process involves mitigating aerosol transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides general guidance on airborne contaminant removal, but directly measuring aerosol clearance in clinical rooms provides empirical evidence to guide clinical procedure. Aim: We present a risk-assessment approach to empirically measuring and certifying the aerosol clearance time (ACT) in operating and procedure rooms to improve hospital efficiency while also mitigating the risk of nosocomial infection. Methods: Rooms were clustered based on physical and procedural parameters. Sample rooms from each cluster were randomly selected and tested by challenging the room with aerosol and monitoring aerosolized particle concentration until 99.9% clearance was achieved. Data quality was analysed and aerosol clearance times for each cluster were determined. Findings: Of the 521 operating and procedure rooms considered, 449 (86%) were issued a decrease in clearance time relative to CDC guidance, 32 (6%) had their clearance times increased, and 40 (8%) remained at guidance. The average clearance time change of all rooms assessed was a net reduction of 27.8%. Conclusion: The process described here balances the need for high-quality, repeatable data with the burden of testing in a functioning clinical setting. Implementation of this approach resulted in a reduction in clearance times for most clinical rooms, thereby improving hospital efficiency while also safeguarding patients and staff. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:02:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e163bf7c7e64c89b0df2aaf1408a914 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-0889 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:02:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Infection Prevention in Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e163bf7c7e64c89b0df2aaf1408a9142022-12-21T23:34:38ZengElsevierInfection Prevention in Practice2590-08892021-12-0134100170Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environmentSeth A. Hara0Timothy L. Rossman1Lukas Johnson2Christopher J. Hogan3William Sanchez4David P. Martin5Mark B. Wehde6Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USADivision of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USADivision of Facilities Management, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USAUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USAGastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USAAnesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USADivision of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Corresponding author. Address: 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55904, USA. Tel.: +507-284-2519.Summary: Background: As researchers race to understand the nature of COVID-19 transmission, healthcare institutions must treat COVID-19 patients while also safeguarding the health of staff and other patients. One aspect of this process involves mitigating aerosol transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides general guidance on airborne contaminant removal, but directly measuring aerosol clearance in clinical rooms provides empirical evidence to guide clinical procedure. Aim: We present a risk-assessment approach to empirically measuring and certifying the aerosol clearance time (ACT) in operating and procedure rooms to improve hospital efficiency while also mitigating the risk of nosocomial infection. Methods: Rooms were clustered based on physical and procedural parameters. Sample rooms from each cluster were randomly selected and tested by challenging the room with aerosol and monitoring aerosolized particle concentration until 99.9% clearance was achieved. Data quality was analysed and aerosol clearance times for each cluster were determined. Findings: Of the 521 operating and procedure rooms considered, 449 (86%) were issued a decrease in clearance time relative to CDC guidance, 32 (6%) had their clearance times increased, and 40 (8%) remained at guidance. The average clearance time change of all rooms assessed was a net reduction of 27.8%. Conclusion: The process described here balances the need for high-quality, repeatable data with the burden of testing in a functioning clinical setting. Implementation of this approach resulted in a reduction in clearance times for most clinical rooms, thereby improving hospital efficiency while also safeguarding patients and staff.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590088921000597AerosolCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Seth A. Hara Timothy L. Rossman Lukas Johnson Christopher J. Hogan William Sanchez David P. Martin Mark B. Wehde Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment Infection Prevention in Practice Aerosol COVID-19 |
| title | Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment |
| title_full | Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment |
| title_fullStr | Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment |
| title_short | Evidence-based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment |
| title_sort | evidence based aerosol clearance times in a healthcare environment |
| topic | Aerosol COVID-19 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590088921000597 |
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