Air Distribution Strategy Impact on Operating Room Infection Control

This paper discusses the impact of different air distribution strategies on infection control inoperating rooms. The quality of air in an operating room is primarily assessed with regard tohow effective the air distribution strategy is in minimizing the possibility of airborne particlescausing infection to the patient. The ASHRAE Research Transaction paper titled,"Comparison of Operating Room Ventilation Systems in the Protection of Surgical Sites" [1],is reviewed as a starting point. A number of air distribution strategies are then reviewed and aqualitative assessment of each strategy will be presented. The design concepts to be reviewedwere: Type of supply air diffusers Exhaust/ Return air locations Lighting and medical equipment location effectsConstant air exchange rates and supply air temperatures were assumed in the case studies,which include: 1) The new operating rooms at University of Massachusetts (UMass)Memorial in Worcester, MA, USA in which an air curtain/ laminar flow supply air diffusionconcept was implemented: and 2) The new Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City inwhich laminar flow panels with manually variable airflow direction have been installed tostudy impacts on patient outcomes and infection control. Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) models of each of the case studies are presented with documented findings whichsupport the qualitative assessment.