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Review
. 2019 Mar;29(2):161-176.
doi: 10.1111/ina.12531. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Effects of indoor environmental parameters related to building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems on patients' medical outcomes: A review of scientific research on hospital buildings

Amreen Shajahan  1   2 , Charles H Culp  1   2 , Brandon Williamson  3
Affiliations
Review

Effects of indoor environmental parameters related to building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems on patients' medical outcomes: A review of scientific research on hospital buildings

Amreen Shajahan et al. Indoor Air. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

The indoor environment of a mechanically ventilated hospital building controls infection rates as well as influences patients' healing processes and overall medical outcomes. This review covers the scientific research that has assessed patients' medical outcomes concerning at least one indoor environmental parameter related to building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, such as indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and indoor air ventilation parameters. Research related to the naturally ventilated hospital buildings was outside the scope of this review article. After 1998, a total of 899 papers were identified that fit the inclusion criteria of this study. Of these, 176 papers have been included in this review to understand the relationship between the health outcomes of a patient and the indoor environment of a mechanically ventilated hospital building. The purpose of this literature review was to summarize how indoor environmental parameters related to mechanical ventilation systems of a hospital building are impacting patients. This review suggests that there is a need for future interdisciplinary collaborative research to quantify the optimum range for HVAC parameters considering airborne exposures and patients' positive medical outcomes.

Keywords: ambient temperature; indoor air quality; indoor environment of hospital buildings; mechanical ventilation; patient outcomes; relative humidity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram showing the methodology of the review process
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diagram of favorable RH ranges for different microorganisms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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