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Impact of Different Types of Air Filtration and the Incidence of Nosocomial Aspergillosis in Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients

 

Study

Type of Air Filtration

Aspergillus Spore

Counts (cfu/m3)

Incidence of Nosocomial Aspergillosis

Rhame et al.

1984 

 

 

Pre-HEPA

Post-HEPA

(2x4 foot HEPA filter in the room)

 

2.0

0.8

          10/66 (15%)

          17/202 (8%)

Rhame et al.

1985

 

 

Post-HEPA

(addition of HEPA filter in the corridor)

 

0.14

          4/97 (4%)

Opal et al

1986

 

 

Portable HEPA filters

inside rooms

outside rooms

 

 

 

0.8+ 0.003

1.7  + 0.2

 

        

 43 cases/yr 

 19 cases/yr (p<0.005)

Sherertz et al

1987

 

Pre-HEPA

Post-HEPA (LAF)

 

 

 

0.16-0.40

0.009

          11/33 (33%)

          0/31 (0%)

Barnes et al

1989

 

Pre-LAF

Post-LAF

133

0

          6/19 (32%)

          0/19 (0%)

 

 

 

legend

 

            This reviews the studies that have looked at the impact of air filtration on aspergillus infection rates.

 

Legend:

 

HEPA -

High Efficiency Particulate Air

LAF -

Laminar Air Flow