In-room HEPA cleaners

The recommendations are in keeping with the initial OHTAC recommendations (Nov 2005), but provide further details, including the following: Technology Planning and Commissioning Health care facilities should periodically conduct an assessment of the risk of transmission of airborne diseases to establish the required environmental controls to support their patient population (i.e., number and loc [...] In November 2005, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee (OHTAC) reviewed the available evidence on the use of air cleaning technologies in the control of infectious diseases compiled by the Medical Advisory Secretariat (MAS) of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MoHLTC). [...] The following are excluded from the scope of this work: • Evaluating associated administrative controls or the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in preventing airborne transmission of infectious diseases in health care settings • Determining the types of patients that require airborne precautions • Gathering statistically relevant information about the usage of in-room HEPA cleaners in On [...] However, the main interest for this report is the second level of controls, environmental controls, which are examined further in the following section paying particular attention to: • The role of environmental controls in preventing the spread of airborne infectious diseases • Relevant standards and guidelines • An overview of in-room HEPA cleaners • A summary of the prior OHTAC recommendations [...] This in turn affects the following room ventilation characteristics: a. Negative pressure, only if the air is exhausted outside the room b. ACH or equivalent ACH (eACH)12 2. HEPA filter: removes pathogens from the air and is essential if the filtered air is returned to the room.