You are here

Article Text

Article menu

Download PDFPDF

Miscellaneous
B148 Effect of portable negative pressure units on expelled aerosols in the operating room environment
Free
  1. M Popovic1,
  2. JC Beathe1,2,
  3. E Gbaje1,
  4. M Sharp1 and
  5. SG Memtsoudis1,2,3
  1. 1Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA, New York, USA
  2. 2Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA, New York, USA
  3. 3Department of Health Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA, New York, USA

Abstract

Background and Aims Spontaneously breathing patients undergoing procedures under regional anesthesia can expose operating room personnel to infectious agents. The use of localized negative pressure within proximity of a patient’s airway is expected to reduce the amount of bioaerosols dispersed particularly for anesthesia staff who are frequently near the patient’s airway.

Methods In the experiment, aerosols were produced using a polydisperse aerosol generator with nebulized saline. A portable negative pressure unit was set up at set distances of 10 and 30 cm with the aim of reducing aerosol particle counts detected by a laser-based particle counter.

Abstract B148 Figure 1
Abstract B148 Figure 1
Abstract B148 Figure 2
Abstract B148 Figure 2
View this table:
Abstract B148 Table 1

Results Without the portable negative pressure unit, the median concentration of 0.5 µm aerosols detected was 3128 (1533, 22832) particles/ft3/min. With the portable negative pressure unit 10 cm and 30cm from the site of aerosol emittance, the median concentration compared to background concentration was -0.5 (-8,8) particles/ft3/min and 398 (89, 1749) particles/ft3/min, respectively. For particle concentrations of 0.5 µm, 0.7 µm, and 1.0 µm a significant amount of aerosol reduction was observed (p<0.001).

Conclusions PNP units have the potential to mitigate risks for all operating room staff as spontaneously ventilating patients with infectious diseases of the airway can contaminate the environment. As expected the effectiveness of the aerosol particle reduction is dependent on the distance between the PNP unit and the aerosol generating site. Further experiments are warranted to assess the safety of staff when encountering a potentially infectious patient in the operating room.

https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2022-ESRA.223

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.