Effectiveness of air purifiers in intensive care units: an interventional study

Source avec lien : Journal of Hospital Infection, (Prépublication). 10.1016/j.jhin.2021.10.011

La conception et le fonctionnement efficaces des systèmes de ventilation des unités de soins intensifs (USI) sont importants pour prévenir les infections nosocomiales. Les purificateurs d’air peuvent y contribuer. Dans cette étude, nous avons cherché à détecter le nombre et les types de micro-organismes présents dans l’air et sur les surfaces à fort contact dans l’USI ; à évaluer l’efficacité du dispositif de purification de l’air pour réduire la charge microbienne et donc le taux d’infections nosocomiales dans l’USI.

Background Effective design and operation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilation systems is important to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Air purifiers may contribute to that. Aim In this study we aimed at detecting the number and types of microorganisms present in the air and on the high touch surfaces in the ICU; evaluating the effectiveness of the air purifying device in reducing the microbial load and thus the rate of nosocomial infections in the ICU. Method This interventional study was conducted in two similar ICUs between December 2019 and May 2020. Novaerus brand air purifiers were located in the “intervention ICU” for two months. Routine cleaning procedures and HEPA filtered ventilation continued in “control ICU” as well as in the “Intervention ICU”. After two months the units were moved to the other ICU for the next two months to reduce any possible bias in the results. Air and surface samples were evaluated. Findings The evaluation of the change in the interventional ICU over time revealed a significantly lower colony concentration in the air and on surfaces on Day 60 compared to Day 1 (pair<0.001 and psurface<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the number of colonies detected and the rate of hospital-acquired infections in the interventional ICU (r:0.406, p:0.049) and in the control ICU (r:0.698, p:0.001). Conclusion Using air purifiers in addition to the hospital HVAC systems might be an effective way to reduce the microbial load in the air and surfaces and thus hospital-acquired infections. Lisez l’article

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