Biomaterial Database

The hospital vacuum cleaner: mechanism for redistributing microbial contaminants. 1980

D G Brown, and K Schatzle, and T Gable

Carpeting patient care units in acute care hospitals is increasingly common. While the safety of carpeting has been heavily debated, there has been little epidemiological data to document risk to the hospitalized patient. With the report of a two-year study documenting human contamination and potential colonization by microorganisms spread from hospital carpeting, a need was established to document modes of transmission. The objective of this study was to define the potential of hospital vacuums for dispersing particles of a size comparable to the microbial cell. Both filter efficiency and vacuum exhaust turbulence are evaluated. Results document that of eight units claiming high efficiency filtration, none was capable of meeting advertising claims. In addition, exhaust air velocities for one unit reached 175 feet per minute at 30 inches above the floor.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D003428	Cross Infection	Any infection which a patient contracts in a health-care institution.	Hospital Infections,Nosocomial Infections,Health Care Associated Infection,Health Care Associated Infections,Healthcare Associated Infections,Infection, Cross,Infections, Hospital,Infections, Nosocomial,Cross Infections,Healthcare Associated Infection,Hospital Infection,Infection, Healthcare Associated,Infection, Hospital,Infection, Nosocomial,Infections, Cross,Infections, Healthcare Associated,Nosocomial Infection
D004865	Equipment and Supplies, Hospital	Any materials used in providing care specifically in the hospital.	Hospital Equipment and Supplies,Equipment, Hospital,Hospital Equipment,Hospital Supplies,Supplies, Hospital,Supply, Hospital,Hospital Supply
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D005430	Floors and Floorcoverings	The surface of a structure upon which one stands or walks.	Carpets,Floorcoverings,Floors,Carpet,Floor,Floorcovering,Floorcoverings and Floors
D006797	Housekeeping, Hospital	Hospital department which manages and provides the required housekeeping functions in all areas of the hospital.	Hospital Housekeeping,Hospital Housekeepings,Housekeepings, Hospital
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000391	Air Microbiology	The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the air. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms.	Microbiology, Air