Solutions for Containing Quickly Spreading Airborne Infections

Antibiotic-resistant hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), as well as other airborne infections, are on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and The World Health Organization (WHO). Many infections, such as chickenpox, influenza, measles, smallpox, SARS, tuberculosis, etc. can be transmitted quickly through the air. Evidence for the airborne transmission of the disease is also on the rise⁵. Data exists to support the airborne nosocomial transmissions of Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and MRSA^{6, 7, 8}. Airborne infectious diseases can spread rapidly and pervasively through a non-immune population¹. Infectious patients who are not isolated from the population can disperse these infectious airborne microorganisms in a wide geographical area through the air, which is inhaled by susceptible individuals who have had no direct contact with the primary source. This airborne spread becomes even more prevalent in healthcare settings because of overburdened hospitals and the presence of immunosuppressed patients.

Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms 

Airborne infection isolation rooms, or AIIRs for short, are essential for the containment of highly contagious diseases2. Many publications emphasize the need for AIIRs due to large numbers of patients becoming ill in a short period of time. Hospitals have insufficient facilities to provide airborne infection isolation for large numbers of patients with airborne infectious diseases presenting quickly within a short period^3,4. Without adequate environmental controls, these patients will pose a risk to other patients and healthcare workers.

SteriSpace Technology for Airborne Infection Isolation 

SteriSpace® is an innovative air disinfection technology that can be deployed in various healthcare situations, providing clean air in a variety of medical settings. Negative Pressure can be maintained to prevent contamination of the environment from the air in a room where an infected patient is housed. Patients with a suspected infection of a highly contagious infectious disease can be placed in isolation or be quarantined in a room where negative pressure is maintained. The airflow leaving the space is exhausted through the SteriSpace® unit, which reduces the bacteria or virus concentration (>99.9999% as demonstrated in independent testing), preventing it from being released into the surrounding space or environment. When used in this manner, the SteriSpace® solution satisfies the CDC Infection Control guidelines for infection isolation. This fully scalable and customizable design can minimize contamination and address the air quality challenges faced by healthcare facilities.