Contaminant Control in Intensive Care Unit of Hospital<sup></sup>

Abstract

The complex hospital environment requires special attention to ensure healthy indoor air quality (IAQ). It is necessary to protect to patient and healthcare workers against hospital acquired infections and occupational diseases. In a hospital environment, there is a trend of high concentrations of harmful micro-organisms. From an infection control perspective, the primary objective of hospital design is to place the patient at no risk of infection during hospitalization. Many people consider that hospitals are generally clean and free from pathogens which are actually not true. Hospitals are having very complex environment that require effective ventilation for comfort of patients & control from infections. Intensive care represents the highest level of continuing patient care and treatment. Therefore a turbulent airflow study has been performed in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of hospital. The present investigation stresses preventing airborne infections, protecting the doctor and other patient in ICU, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software FLUENT. In which, Navier Stokes and energy equations in three-dimensional co-ordinates have been solved by control volume method. The SIMPLE algorithms are used to solve these equations. Steady state, k-ε turbulence model and incompressible flow of a constant property fluid have been considered. The tracking of massless contaminated particle (infection) has also been carried out by simulation. It is observed that stagnant zone of the room is not healthy for the patients as well as doctor. Therefore suitable ventilation arrangement must be provided for healthy environment in the hospital.