Airborne Infections in Nursing Homes
Airborne Infections in Nursing Homes is of great concern to the staff, patients, and loved
ones. When a person is unable to care for themselves independently and family members are overwhelmed, unprepared, or unable to give the kind of care their loved one needs to insure a good quality of life a Nursing home may be the best alternative. When deciding which long term care facility would best fill the needs of the individual one concern that may not be in the forefront is airborne infections. While overall physical appearance of a nursing home is extremely important it is what you cannot see that perhaps can be the most critical element for the physical health of the employees, caretakers, and residents. The potential infectious pathogens in the ambient air can be a major source of infection and disease in long term care facilities.
“Almost as many nosocomial infections occur annually in nursing homes as in hospitals in the United States1 (Haley et al 1985).
Potential airborne infections in Nursing Homes include viruses such as Adenovirus, Coronavirus, Coxsackievirus, Influenza, Metapneumovirus, Norwalk virus, Parainfluenza, Rhinovirus, Rotavirus, and RSV. The sources of most of these are humans. Norwalk virus and Adenovirus are said to be from the environment. All of these along with many bacteria are listed in Wladyslaw Kowalski's book 'Hospital Airborne Infection Control' page 218. Some of the more common bacteria listed in this book are MRSA, Streptococcus pheumoniae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and VRE.
Filtering and purifying the air in hospitals and nursing care facilities is of vital importance to the overall health and well being of caretakers as well as patients or residents. Photocatalytic Oxidation is one of the best technologies utilized for air purification.
1. Hospital Airborne Infection Control; Wladyslaw Kowalski