Air Conditioning in Inpatient Rooms.

[Fiona de Sousa]

Hi List Members,

We are currently undertaking a new building project and I have been asked to consider air conditioning vents located directly above the patient bed in the middle of the room.

I was concerned that this may blow air directly onto the patient and potentially increase risk associated with procedures, such as dressings, but I have been told that new air conditioning vent designs have air currents that hug the ceiling of the room and would not blow directly onto patients.

Does anyone have any experience of installing air conditioning vents directly above patients and has this led to a change in such things as surgical site infection rates or healthcare associated wound infections?

Kind Regards,

Fiona De Sousa
Infection Prevention & Control Coordinator
Sydney Adventist Hospital
Fiona.Desousa@sah.org.au
185 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW, 2076

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[Denise MacGregor Fraser]

Hi Fiona

Refer to the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines available at http://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/guidelines.aspx
Part D Infection prevention and control – section 860 Physical Environment (revision June 2012)

“All supply air and return air registers and grills should be removable for cleaning and
not be installed directly above a patient bed.”

Also “NSW Health TS11 Engineering Services and Sustainable Development Guidelines” may help

Regards Denise
MacGregor Fraser
Infection Control Consultant
HICMR Pty Ltd
(Healthcare Infection Control Management Resources)
Level 1, 123 Camberwell Road Hawthorn East VIC 3123
denise.mfraser@hicmr.com.au
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Hi List Members,

We are currently undertaking a new building project and I have been asked to consider air conditioning vents located directly above the patient bed in the middle of the room.

I was concerned that this may blow air directly onto the patient and potentially increase risk associated with procedures, such as dressings, but I have been told that new air conditioning vent designs have air currents that hug the ceiling of the room and would not blow directly onto patients.

Does anyone have any experience of installing air conditioning vents directly above patients and has this led to a change in such things as surgical site infection rates or healthcare associated wound infections?

Kind Regards,

Fiona De Sousa
Infection Prevention & Control Coordinator
Sydney Adventist Hospital
Fiona.Desousa@sah.org.au
185 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW, 2076

If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this message
is prohibited. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately, then destroy the original message.
Any views expressed in this message are solely those of the individual sender, except where the sender is specifically authorised
by Adventist HealthCare Limited to state that they are the views of Adventist HealthCare Limited.
_____________________________________________________________________
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[Gerald Cha]

Hi Fiona,
Aside from the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines that Denise quoted, you need to consider the cleaning of the vents and the risks associated with its direct placement above the patient.
I’m not sure if you are referring to the newer circular vents that come in a fixed blade-like design (unlike the conventional square ones)… apparently improving airflow (but appear harder to clean).
Airflow may be improved to the older designs but dust will still accumulate if cleaning schedules are not adhered to strictly.
Your cleaning teams may do a good thorough external clean to eliminate visible external dust accumulation, but internally dust will still accumulate and maintenance/cleaning for that part of the ventilation system is normally in Engineering’s territory.
Thus, if poorly maintained by Engineering, the vents become a reservoir of dust ready to drop in clumps on an unsuspecting patient (worst scenario: whilst a wound dressing is being conducted).
I do recall reading a paper from Germany (or another European country) a couple of years back whereby propionibacterium acnes infections were being identified post-operatively in surgical sites.
This was then investigated and traced back to the ventilation system in theatre suites which were poorly maintained (and that’s with HEPA filtration).
I’m not an architect/engineer but wouldn’t it be more effective to place your air vents (in long horizontal strips) parallel to the windows to counter the external heat/cold?
That design also poses a much lower IC risk to your patients.
Kind regards,
Gerald

Gerald Chan
Coordinator Infection Control

St John of God Murdoch Hospital
100 Murdoch Drive
MURDOCH. WA 6150

P: 9366 1552
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>>> Fiona de Sousa 15/03/2013 9:24 AM >>>

Hi List Members,
We are currently undertaking a new building project and I have been asked to consider air conditioning vents located directly above the patient bed in the middle of the room.
I was concerned that this may blow air directly onto the patient and potentially increase risk associated with procedures, such as dressings, but I have been told that new air conditioning vent designs have air currents that hug the ceiling of the room and would not blow directly onto patients.
Does anyone have any experience of installing air conditioning vents directly above patients and has this led to a change in such things as surgical site infection rates or healthcare associated wound infections?
Kind Regards,
Fiona De Sousa
Infection Prevention & Control Coordinator
Sydney Adventist Hospital
Fiona.Desousa@sah.org.au ( blocked::mailto:Fiona.Desousa@sah.org.au )
185 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW, 2076

If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this message
is prohibited. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately, then destroy the original message.
Any views expressed in this message are solely those of the individual sender, except where the sender is specifically authorised
by Adventist HealthCare Limited to state that they are the views of Adventist HealthCare Limited.
_____________________________________________________________________
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