Meet or Exceed Guidelines on TB. With ELECTROMEDIA

 

What CDC Says….ELECTROMEDIA Can Do

 

Our main goal is to provide the medical industry with the finest equipment available to protect against nosocomial infection.  We bring this knowledge to you with our patented, technologically advanced ELECTROMEDIA.  We are committed to bring you the most effective methods of meeting or exceeding your requirements.

 

We provide the most effective air mix pattern, the Coanda, and by literally sweeping the air, we reach out into every corner.  ELECTROMEDIA has been proven to not only remove, but destroy even the tough Mycobacterium.

 

CDC and Negative Pressure

 

Pressure differential: The pressure difference necessary to achieve and maintain negative pressure in a room is very small and may be difficult to measure accurately.  It may be achieved by balancing the room supply and exhaust flows to set the exhaust flow to a value 10% (but no less than 50 CFM) greater than the supply.  A pressure differential of 0.001” of water and an inward air velocity of 100FPM are minimum acceptable levels. Purpose: to contain contaminated air in localized areas and prevent the spread into uncontaminated areas.

 

What Does ELECTROMEDIA Do?

 

Without going to great expense, ELECTROMEDIA can provide a retrofit package with damper to control the differential pressure in the room.  Thus, the ability to exhaust an infinitely adjustable amount of air to achieve the desired inward air flow and negative pressure.

 

CDC on Monitoring TB Isolation Rooms

 

Periodic checks are required using smoke tubes or by use of an air velocity monitoring device with smoke tubes to assure desired negative pressure condition is present.  This should be done daily when in use where potentially infectious TB patients are located, treated, or receive cough inducing treatments.  If smoke tubes are used, a quarterly verification of air flow should be done using a thermoanomometer or similar device.

 

ELECTROMEDIA’S Solution

 

Without going to a great deal of expense, we have a practical solution.  For monitoring the differential pressures in the room, the use of a manometer, available from your ELECTROMEDIA dealer, will give you the desired information.  The manometer can even be mounted by the nursing station for quick reference (distance not to exceed 50 feet).  Smoke tubes will tell you the air flow under the door, around the edges of the door or any other location where there is possible air flow in or out of the room.

 

What CDC Says About Filtration

 

Purpose of filtration:  To remove contaminants from the air.  Highly efficient (filters achieving 99.97% efficiency in the DoP test using .3 Micron size particles) filtration is required to reduce contaminant concentration levels.  Thus reducing risk.  Efficiency may vary according to the configuration of the room, furniture, persons in the room, placement of supply and exhaust grilles, and placement of the unit.

 

……Filtration units have been used to reduce nosocomial infections, and may be considered for areas where there is no general ventilation system or where the system is incapable of providing adequate air flow.

 

How Does ELECTROMEDIA Stack Up?

 

ELECTROMEDIA has a 99.97% efficiency rating at removing particulate but even more important, ELECTROMEDIA has been proven in tests conducted at MORTON PLANT HOSPITAL, in Clearwater, Florida, not only to remove bacterial contaminants from the air but it destroys them.  Even Mycobacterium bovis, with the same lipid encapsulation as TB, was destroyed in simulated patient room testing.  At Atmospure, Inc., we feel it is important to provide the proper information on our products where they will be applied, ie. In a patient room setting, so you can make a decision based on how the units will perform in the application they are intended.  Also, in the CDC discussion on filtration, they mention Aspergillus, this is a fungal contaminant we virtually eliminated in tests conducted at the Pinellas (Florida) County Jail.

 

To summarize our filtration versus the guidelines…….We not only remove contaminants at the prescribed efficiency or better, we destroy them!  We also take the guesswork out of the process of air filtration.  We have designed a complete system based on advanced technology, that needs nothing else to remove and/or destroy the contaminant, no guessing what wattage UV lights to use or how many true CFM the system is producing.

 

CDC on Installation and Maintenance

 

Proper installation, testing, and meticulous maintenance are critical if a filtration system is used.  This is especially true if the system is used to recirculate air to other parts of a facility.

 

ELECTROMEDIA on Maintenance

 

We prefer to install every system we place.  There are times however where the engineering and maintenance staff at a facility can do a perfectly adequate job on their own.  We will always be available to oversee and guide such installations whenever desired.

 

Maintenance on our system is very simple.  There are only three filter types to be replaced and minimal care to the Tungsten wires.  Here then is the suggested maintenance schedule:

  1. Pre-filter – changeout every month, or when one patient leaves an isolation room and another enters.  This is red bag material.
  2. Main filter – changeout every 8 months.  This may not be considered red bag as all bacteria on filter have been destroyed.
  3. Activated carbon – changeout every 16 months.  Again, this may not be red bag due to the efficiency of the system.
  4. Tungsten wires – wipe carefully every 4 months with isopropyl alcohol.

 

 

CDC on Air Mix

 

Recommended general ventilation rates for health care facilities are expressed in air changes per hour (ACH).  The number of ACH is the ratio of the ventilation rate to the room volume, and is equal to the exhaust air flow, divided by the room volume.  Due to previously mentioned obstructions, a perfect air flow may not be able to be produced, therefore a mixing factor is required to account for this.  The factor can vary from 1 – 10 (perfect – poor).  The factor is applied as a multiplier to determine the actual supply air flow.  It is important that the room supply and exhaust be designed to achieve the lowest mixing factor possible.

 

ELECTROMEDIA on Air Mix

 

Through testing, we know that to provide the efficiency that we give you a 95% Risk Reduction, we calculate a 15 ACH, or a 4 minute Air Exchange Rate exceeding the called for by CI through our system per hour.  Your ELECTROMEDIA dealer is an expert in this area and will counsel with you to determine the best positioning of our unit for your application.

 

ELECTROMEDIA Stands with YOU

 

With new guidelines and possible changes in the upcoming Federal Register your ELECTROMEDIA representative will go through any changes in the requirements with you.  Should there be any changes in the requirements with you.  Should there be any changes necessary in the air flow, maintenance requirements, or any other aspect of what our system has been installed to accomplish, we will work with you to meet or exceed the guidelines.