Use of a Negative Pressure Containment Pod Within Ambulance-Workspace During Pandemic Response.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Infectious Disease Control
• Aerosol Science

Background:

• Emergency medical service (EMS) providers have elevated exposure risks to infectious agents compared to the general population.
• Prehospital environments, particularly ambulances, pose significant risks for disease transmission due to limited space and lack of advanced air filtration.
• Aerosol-generating procedures, such as intubation, performed in ambulances increase pathogen exposure for EMS personnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel containment plus filtration intervention designed to reduce aerosol concentrations within ambulance patient modules.
• To assess the effectiveness of a HEPA-filtered extraction system in mitigating exposure risks during aerosol-generating procedures in prehospital settings.

Main Methods:

• Aerosol concentration measurements were conducted in an unoccupied research ambulance using a tracer aerosol and optical particle counters (OPCs).
• Three conditions were tested: baseline (no intervention), containment pod with HEPA-1 filtration, and containment pod with HEPA-2 filtration.
• The intervention involved a containment pod equipped with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)-filtered extraction system.

Main Results:

• The containment pod with HEPA-filtered extraction demonstrated significant aerosol reduction capabilities.
• This intervention achieved 95% containment of the total generated particle concentration compared to the baseline condition.
• The system provided rapid air cleaning within the containment pod after aerosol generation.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated containment pod with HEPA-filtered extraction is an effective intervention for reducing aerosol concentrations in ambulance patient modules.
• This system can substantially decrease EMS provider exposure to airborne pathogens during aerosol-generating procedures.
• Implementing such interventions can enhance safety for frontline healthcare workers in prehospital environments.