An efficient analytical method for particle counting in evaluating airborne infectious isolation containment using...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Infectious Disease Control
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Patient isolation enclosures are critical for preventing healthcare-associated infections.
• Current tracer gas methods for assessing enclosure containment are complex and require specialized training.
• A simpler, accurate method is needed to quantify airborne particle leakage from isolation rooms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a particle-based technique for measuring the containment performance of patient isolation enclosures.
• To provide a simple, accurate, and precise method for assessing airborne particle escape.
• To enable verification of containment in expedient surge capacity enclosures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized micrometer-sized fluorescent polystyrene latex microspheres as surrogates for pathogenic bioaerosols.
• Released particles into isolation enclosures and sampled air inside and outside.
• Quantified captured particles on filters using an optimized random field counting approach.

Main Results:

• The particle-based technique accurately estimated surrogate bioaerosol particle counts on filters.
• Calculations of airborne particle concentrations and containment efficiency were precise.
• The method demonstrated specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The developed particle-based technique offers a simple, accurate, and cost-effective solution for assessing patient isolation enclosure containment.
• This method can be implemented with generally available equipment and inexpensive supplies.
• It provides a reliable means to protect healthcare workers, patients, and visitors by verifying containment performance.