Hospitals are the hotbeds of contaminants. Going by this statement, maintaining superior indoor air quality in hospitals and healthcare settings is of critical importance. Whether it is a tiny clinic or a gigantic hospital, a safe and healthy environment is mandatory.

Cutting-edge air filtration solutions can battle airborne pollutants and infections, and prevent the propagation of infectious diseases in hospitals. This article presents a detailed discussion on the importance of air purification systems in healthcare facilities.

The Risks of Poor Air Quality in Hospitals

It is no secret that healthcare facilities are hazardous areas where infectious pathogens can lurk in any corner. Taking various forms, such as bacteria, viruses, allergens, and fungi, these predatory contaminants are risky for your health.

The hospital air contains an extremely fine particulate matter having a size of 2.5 microns or lower, which is easily transmitted through air. When humans inhale this contaminated air, these particulates can penetrate deeply into the lungs and can accumulate in the bloodstream, which can result in critical health problems. The absorption of these particulates can lead to various complications like heart diseases, diabetes, and specific neurological disorders.

Poor air quality at hospitals due to lack of air cleaners poses risks to the following people.

• Vulnerable patients: In the absence of air filtration at healthcare centers, patients who have respiratory issues, weak immunity, and other medical issues would be severely affected. It is also hazardous for surgical patients.
• Other individuals: Doctors, healthcare workers, and visitors who are exposed to air pollutants are always susceptible to catching hospital-acquired infections.

The Role of Air Purification Systems in Controlling Contaminants in Hospitals

• A two-stage air filtration system is needed for several areas in a hospital, consisting of a prefilter and a final filter. In certain areas, other stages may also be used, such as incorporating activated carbon filters for eradicating strong odors and gases. These two-stage or multi-stage filtration systems are commonly used in cleanrooms, patient care rooms, ICUs, operating areas, and isolation wards.
• Prefilters in the air filtration systems in hospitals trap huge particles like dust, pollen, dirt, hair, and lint before they navigate to the main filters. Hence, a large amount of the air is purified before it reaches the main filters. This protects the main filters from dealing with large particles and prevents their clogging. The finer particles in the air, which are harder to eliminate, such as PM1, PM2.5, viruses, respiratory droplets, etc., are now removed by the more efficient main filters.
• The air cleaners commonly used in healthcare facilities are prefilters, fine filters, HEPA filters for eliminating particulate matter, activated carbon filters for warding off odors and gases, metal air filters, pocket filters, and pad filters.
• The best choice for a hospital prefilter is the iTech Pre Filter/PanelL Filter. It is made of nonwoven media pleated with a mesh & wire support grid. The pleats in this filter increase the surface area of the filter, providing a large dust-holding capacity and decreased resistance to the flow of air. Also, the best filters that can be used as main filters in the filtration systems in hospitals are iTech low-pressure-drop HEPA filters with a mini-pleat design, owing to their high efficiency and high dust-holding ability. Another fabulous product, the iTech fine filter, is utilized as a secondary or tertiary filter in a multi-stage air filtration system. They capture very fine particles and can be applied in air purifiers in patient wards, ICUs, and operating theaters.
• Different areas in the hospital require different kinds of air cleaners with varying media and sizes. These different air purifiers provide differing levels of protection. For instance, a cleanroom requires an extremely high level of protection, which is different from the needs of a waiting room, where a moderate level of protection is required.

Benefits of Air Purification Systems in Hospitals

• Air purifiers prevent the spread of infectious pathogens, minimizing infection rates
• It protects patients who are vulnerable to airborne pathogens and pollutants, minimizing the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
• It safeguards healthcare workers from pathogens in the air
• HEPA filters eliminate pathogens and reduce airborne contaminants during operation and other activities, especially in cleanrooms and operating theatres.
• It hinders contamination from microbiological pollutants in research labs.
• It improves the well-being of patients and helps in their speedy recovery.
• It improves overall air quality for visitors, doctors, and staff

Conclusion

In a nutshell, a healthy indoor environment at healthcare centers is something that should not be neglected if you want to ensure the safety of patients and other individuals at these centers. So, if you belong to the healthcare world, invest in a quality air purification system today. To achieve the optimum air quality goals at your healthcare center, opt for the varied range of air filtration products from iTech.