Dave Blackwell, Matthew Crouch, Berni Baier, and Larry Isford, of leading air filtration and ‘clean air’ specialist, Camfil Farr, explain how properly filtered indoor air can make a major contribution in the fight against healthcare-associated infection, but point out that specifiers of the latest filtration products need to ensure that they are fully cognisant with their ‘real-world’ performance.
This is an edited version of an article first published in the Autumn 2012 edition of Canadian Healthcare Facilities magazine.
Hospital facility managers throughout Canada are working intensely to reduce the incidence of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). The problem is substantial: one in nine hospital patients in Canada suffers a healthcare-associated infection. Each year, more than 220,000 HAIs cause up to 12,000 deaths. Estimated costs top C$1 billion annually, and do not include the costs borne by patients and caregivers, or the programme costs for home and community care. Healthcareassociated infections are the fourth leading cause of death for Canadians, with pneumonia the most costly of all hospital-acquired infections. Fortunately, it is also among the most preventable. One of the most effective weapons against HAIs is properly filtered indoor air. It is therefore critical to be aware of the most recent air filter standards and testing protocols, including critical factors that are not always apparent regarding a filter’s ‘real world’ performance inside an air-handling unit (AHU). The current laboratory test method used in the industry is ASHRAE Standard 52.2-2007, Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices for Removal Efficiency by Particle Size.
‘Conditioning’ step
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