Summary
Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) continue to persist in hospitals, despite the
use of increasingly strict infection-control precautions. Opportunistic airborne transmission
of potentially pathogenic bioaerosols may be one possible reason for this persistence.
Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review the concentrations and compositions
of indoor bioaerosols in different areas within hospitals and the effects of different
ventilation systems. Electronic databases (Medline and Web of Science) were searched
to identify articles of interest. The search was restricted to articles published
from 2000 to 2017 in English. Aggregate data was used to examine the differences in
mean colony forming units per cubic metre (cfu/m3) between different hospital areas and ventilation types. A total of 36 journal articles
met the eligibility criteria. The mean total bioaerosol concentrations in the different
areas of the hospitals were highest in the inpatient facilities (77 cfu/m3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 55–108) compared with the restricted (13cfu/m3, 95% CI: 10–15) and public areas (14 cfu/m3, 95% CI: 10–19). Hospital areas with natural ventilation had the highest total bioaerosol
concentrations (201 cfu/m3, 95% CI: 135–300) compared with areas using conventional mechanical ventilation systems
(20 cfu/m3, 95% CI: 16–24). Hospital areas using sophisticated mechanical ventilation systems
(such as increased air changes per hour, directional flow and filtration systems)
had the lowest total bioaerosol concentrations (9 cfu/m3, 95% CI: 7–13). Operating sophisticated mechanical ventilation systems in hospitals
contributes to improved indoor air quality within hospitals, which assists in reducing
the risk of airborne transmission of HAIs.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 04, 2019
Accepted:
June 28,
2019
Received:
March 25,
2019
Identification
Copyright
Crown Copyright © 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Healthcare Infection Society. All rights reserved.
