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01-12-2020 | Review

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in intensive care unit

Authors: Sai Saran, Mohan Gurjar, Arvind Baronia, Vijayalakshmi Sivapurapu, Pralay S. Ghosh, Gautham M. Raju, Indubala Maurya

Published in: Critical Care | Issue 1/2020

Abstract

The aim of this review is to describe variation in standards and guidelines on ‘heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC)’ system maintenance in the intensive care units, across the world, which is required to maintain good ‘indoor air quality’ as an important non-pharmacological strategy in preventing hospital-acquired infections. An online search and review of standards and guidelines published by various societies including American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health Estates and Facilities Division, Health Technical Memorandum 2025 (HTM) and Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) along with various national expert committee consensus statements, regional and hospital-based protocols available in a public domain were retrieved. Selected publications and textbooks describing HVAC structural aspects were also reviewed, and we described the basic structural details of HVAC system as well as variations in the practised standards of HVAC system in the ICU, worldwide. In summary, there is a need of universal standards for HVAC system with a specific mention on the type of ICU, which should be incorporated into existing infection control practice guidelines.

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Title: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in intensive care unit
Authors: Sai Saran
Mohan Gurjar
Arvind Baronia
Vijayalakshmi Sivapurapu
Pralay S. Ghosh
Gautham M. Raju
Indubala Maurya
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Critical Care / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1364-8535
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-020-02907-5

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Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in intensive care unit

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