Maintaining Air Quality and Temperature Control in ICU: The Role of HVAC Systems

Abstract

An essential non-pharmacological strategy for preventing hospital-acquired infections, "indoor air quality" 
necessitates regular maintenance of the "heating, ventilation and air-conditioning" (HVAC) systems in intensive care 
units around the world. This review aims to describe the variation in standards and guidelines for this maintenance. 
A comprehensive literature search was conducted to gather relevant standards and guidelines from a variety of 
organizations and groups. These included the following: AIA, ASHRAE, CDC, Department of Health Estates and 
Facilities Division, Health Technical Memorandum 2025, HICPAC, and other publicly available national expert 
committee consensus statements, regional protocols, and hospital-based protocols. We outlined the fundamental 
structural characteristics of an HVAC system and discussed the differences in the standards used in intensive care 
units throughout the globe, drawing on a literature study that included selected articles and textbooks that discussed 
HVAC structural aspects. To summarize, current infection control practice recommendations should contain the need 
for universal standards for HVAC systems, with a particular focus on the kind of intensive care unit.