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Respir Care

Title:		Aerosol distribution during open suctioning and long-term surveillance of air quality in a respiratory care center within a medical center
Author(s):		Chung FF; Lin HL; Liu HE; Lien AS; Hsiao HF; Chou LT; Wan GH;
Address:		"Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology. Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University. School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University. Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University Department of Respiratory Therapy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China. Department of Respiratory Therapy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China. Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University ghwan@mail.cgu.edu.tw"
Journal Title:		Respir Care
Year:		2015
Volume:		20141014
Issue:		1
Page Number:		30 - 37
DOI:		10.4187/respcare.03310
ISSN/ISBN:		1943-3654 (Electronic) 0020-1324 (Linking)
Abstract:		"BACKGROUND: The investigation of hospital air quality has been conducted in wards, ICUs, operating theaters, and public areas. Few studies have assessed air quality in respiratory care centers (RCCs), especially in mechanically ventilated patients with open suctioning. METHODS: The RCC air quality indices (temperature, relative humidity, levels of CO2, total volatile organic compounds, particulate matter [PM], bacteria, and fungi) were monitored over 1 y. The air around the patient's head was sampled during open suctioning to examine the probability of bioaerosol exposure affecting health-care workers. RESULTS: This investigation found that the levels of indoor air pollutants (CO2, PM, bacteria, and fungi) were below the indoor air quality standard set by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency. Meanwhile, the levels of total volatile organic compounds sometimes exceeded the indoor air quality standard, particularly in August. The identified bacterial genera included Micrococcus species, Corynebacterium species, and Staphylococcus species, and the predominant fungal genera included yeast, Aspergillus species, Scopulariopsis species, and Trichoderma species. Additionally, airborne PM2.5, PM1, and bacteria were clearly raised during open suctioning in mechanically ventilated patients. This phenomenon demonstrated that open suctioning may increase the bacterial exposure risk of health-care workers. CONCLUSIONS: RCC air quality deserves long-term monitoring and evaluation. Health-care workers must implement self-protection strategies during open suctioning to ensure their occupational health and safety in health-care settings"
Keywords:		"Academic Medical Centers *Aerosols Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis Aspergillus/isolation & purification Carbon Dioxide/analysis Colony Count, Microbial Corynebacterium/isolation & purification Environmental Monitoring Gram-Positive Bacteria/*isolation & p;"
Notes:		"MedlineChung, Fen-Fang Lin, Hui-Ling Liu, Hsueh-Erh Lien, Angela Shin-Yu Hsiao, Hsiu-Feng Chou, Lan-Ti Wan, Gwo-Hwa eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/10/16 Respir Care. 2015 Jan; 60(1):30-7. doi: 10.4187/respcare.03310. Epub 2014 Oct 14"