| Title |
A Numerical Study on Particle Migration for Prevention of Cross-Infection in Negative Pressure Isolation Room According to the Presence of Anteroom |
| Authors |
Minji Jung ; Jin Kwan Hong |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.6110/KJACR.2019.31.3.099 |
| Keywords |
음압격리병실 ; 교차감염 ; 전실 ; 전산유체역학 ; 의료진 이동 ; 기침 입자 Negative pressure isolation room ; Cross-infection ; Anteroom ; Computational fluid dynamics ; Healthcare worker walking ; Cough particle |
| Abstract |
Negative pressure isolation rooms are used to contain infected aerosols within the room for patients with airborne infections. When the door is opened, the pressure difference in the two rooms cannot be maintained and this leads to the risk of cross-infection. Anterooms plays an crucial role in minimizing the escape of infectious particles into a corridor when the door is opened. However, most of the hospitals use isolation room with no anteroom when hospitalizing patients with infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Two cases were evaluated through the performance of CFD simulations to examine the effects of a healthcare worker walking in and out of isolation rooms, and door opening/closing on the transport characteristics of cough particles from the infected patient in the isolation room. The first case was a negative pressure isolation room with an open space corridor and no negative pressure. The second case was a negative pressure isolation room with anteroom both of which were negatively pressurized by mechanical ventilation. The simulation results showed that the movement of healthcare worker has a significant influence on airflow patterns by producing distinct wave flow regions which affect suspended particles. In both cases, air and cough particles from isolation rooms moved to the corridor and anteroom when the door opened and a healthcare worker walked out from the isolation room. |