Description

Standards for hospital ventilation with outdoor air were established based on the predominant view that pathogenic organisms may become airborne and are capable of causing disease when they come in contact with a susceptible host. In recent years, strong evidence has brought about the prevailing medical viewpoint that air as a route of transmission of infection in a hospital is one of the minor modes. This paper first reviews and compares ASHRAE’s ventilation standards and the federal hospital construction standards generally referred to as the Hill-Burton standard. Secondly, a synopsis of prevailing medical views on airborne infection and hospital ventilation rates is presented, taken from the proceedings of conferences sponsored by the National Research Council, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health. Third, the results of a ventilation “classification” study conducted at a university hospital are presented to illustrate the application and comparison of ventilation rates in new hospital construction and the prospects for reduction.

Units: Dual

Citation: ASHRAE Transactions, 1986, vol. 92, pt. 2A, Portland, OR

Product Details

Published:

1986

Number of Pages:

22

File Size:

1 file , 2 MB

Product Code(s):

D-PO-86-2999