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Potential effects of aerosol generation and transmission during bedside endoscope cleaning
Tingting Sheng1, Xin Wu1, Li Cen2
1Nursing Department, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Abstract:
Airborne transmission is among the most frequent types of nosocomial infection. Recent years have witnessed frequent outbreaks of airborne diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the latter being on the rampage since the end of 2019 and bringing the effect of aerosols on health back to the fore (Gralton et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2021). An increasing number of studies have shown that certain highly transmissible pathogens can maintain long-term stability and efficiently spread through aerosols (Leung, 2021; Lv et al., 2021). As reported previously, influenza viruses that can spread efficiently through aerosols remain stable for a longer period compared to those that cannot. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) play an important role in aerosol transmission in hospitals (Calderwood et al., 2021). AGPs, referring to medical procedures that produce aerosols, including dental procedures, endotracheal intubation, sputum aspiration, and laparoscopic surgeries, have been reported to be significantly associated with an increased risk of nosocomial infection among medical personnel (Hamilton, 2021).
Insights
Airborne transmission poses a significant risk for hospital-acquired infections, particularly from aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). Understanding aerosol stability and spread is crucial for preventing the nosocomial spread of infectious diseases.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Airborne transmission is a common route for nosocomial infections.
- Recent outbreaks like SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 highlight the role of aerosols in disease spread.
- Highly transmissible pathogens can remain stable and spread efficiently via aerosols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the significance of aerosol transmission in healthcare settings.
- To emphasize the role of aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) in the spread of airborne pathogens.
- To underscore the importance of understanding aerosol stability for infection control.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on airborne pathogens and aerosol transmission.
- Analysis of data on outbreaks of respiratory diseases (SARS, MERS, COVID-19).
- Examination of World Health Organization (WHO) statements on aerosol-generating procedures.
Main Results:
- Aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) are strongly linked to increased nosocomial infection risk for healthcare workers.
- Influenza viruses spreading via aerosols are more stable than those that do not.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has refocused attention on the impact of aerosols on health.
Conclusions:
- AGPs are critical in the hospital transmission of airborne infectious agents.
- Effective infection control strategies must address aerosol generation and spread.
- Further research into aerosol stability and transmission dynamics is essential for public health protection.
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