Description:
The role of poorly maintained ventilation ductwork in spreading airborne infections is largely ignored because it is ‘out of sight out of mind’, but recent analysis by healthcare professionals confirms that the risks are increasing.
Ghasson Shabha will identify particular threats in healthcare facilities from dirty ductwork. He also points out that fewer than 5% of building air-conditioning systems have been inspected despite regulations making this mandatory. Dr Shabha will look at how planned cleaning strategies can reduce risks and how hospitals can use 3D building information modelling software to identify ‘infection hotspots’.
The healthcare environment can be described as a reservoir for potentially infective agents which can spread unpredictably in a whole array of ways particularly in ventilation and air-conditioning systems making it difficult to effectively control and manage, for those seeking timely information about the patterns of cross-infection. The severity of the problem has been highlighted extensively over the past decade, as part of wider umbrella of what was known as health care acquired infections (HCAIs). Airborne transmission extends over a wide spectrum, and includes many prevalent agents, inter alia Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB),nosocomial MRSA, Aspergillus fumigatus, Serratia marcescens, norovirus, and other airborne infection.
Dr Shabha was speaking live from Birmingham and this CIBSE ASHRAE Group (cibseashrae.org) webinar was co-sponsored by the B&ES Ventilation Hygiene Group and the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM).
CIBSE ASHRAE Group – Unclean, unclean! Health threats from ventilation and air conditioning – 14th Nov 2012 from Tim Dwyer on Vimeo.
Medical and Patient education videos
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Description
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Nasal Aspergillosis destroys the bone in and around the nose. Unfortunately this case could not be treated and the dog had to be euthanised.
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Nasal aspergillosis with moderate turbinate destruction and fungal plate on left frontal sinus mucosa. Biopsy was performed and 10% clotrimazole cream was applied through endoscope.
[Aspergilosis nasal con moderada destrucción de cornete etmoidal izquierdo y placa micótica sobre mucosa de seno frontal. Se realizó la biopsia y se aplicó una crema de clotrimazol al 10% mediante el endoscopio.]
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This video depicts removal of superficial fungal infection involving the right ear canal by using suctioning technique
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More examination & analysis of lung specimens from a patient with aspergillosis
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A histological tour of the signs of aspergillosis in lung specimens
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A collection of short video’s hosted by the Aspergillus Website showing various aspects of the cell biology of Aspergillus and how parts of our immune system fights the infection.
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Sir David Attenborough and the Planet Earth team discover the weird world of the Cordyceps; killer fungi that invades the body of an insect to grow and diminish the insect population. Fascinating animal and wildlife video from the BBC epic natural world masterpiece ‘Planet Earth’.
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This video was kindly provided with permission from Lariontsev Nikolay.
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A patient describes her experience of living with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis and treatment with itraconazole.
