Respiratory failure & ventilation
Quantifying hospital environmental ventilation using carbon dioxide monitoring – a multicentre study
Authors' conclusion
We conclude that staff break, office and clinical areas on acute medical and respiratory wards frequently had inadequate ventilation, potentially increasing the risks of airborne pathogen transmission to staff and patients. Conversely, ventilation was consistently high in the ICU and operating theatre clinical environments.
Study context
- Population
- Acute medical and respiratory wards, ICUs and operating theatres across two hospitals in ScotlandCO2 measurements, 32 areas
- Participants
- 127,680 participants
- Exposure
- Non-clinical vs clinical hospital areas
- Outcome
- Proportion of time carbon dioxide levels breached the 800 ppm threshold
Methodological detailstwo-phased, multicentre, Measurements November–December 2022, Method validated under controlled conditions with non-dispersive infrared CO2 monitors
- Two-phased
- Multicentre
- Measurements November–December 2022
- Method validated under controlled conditions with non-dispersive infrared CO2 monitors
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Time with carbon dioxide >800 ppm · 8 weeks
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Time with carbon dioxide >800 ppm, non-clinical areas (subgroup)ICUs and wards vs Operating theatres | ICUs and wards 20% · Operating theatres 1% | P < 0.001 |
| Time with carbon dioxide >800 ppm, clinical areas (subgroup)Wards vs ICUs and operating theatres | Wards 16% · ICUs and operating theatres 0% | P < 0.001 |
Original publication
Quantifying hospital environmental ventilation using carbon dioxide monitoring – a multicentre study. Anaesthesia. Published 7 December 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →