Air quality for the ‘clean side’ examined

With very little existing guidance on air quality in the ‘clean side’ of endoscopy decontamination suites, a working group from the Central Sterilising Club led by Tina Bradley, laboratory manager at the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory (HIRL), at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, has got together recently to produce what the working party’s members believe are some appropriate and useful guidelines on the subject. 

Both new-build, and some refurbished, endoscopy decontamination facilities are increasingly being centralised, with passthrough endoscope washer-disinfectors (EWDs) being used to create the ‘dirty to clean’ workflow path. At present, there is very little guidance on the air quality for the ‘clean’ room in endoscopy decontamination suites. CFPP 01-061 states that the principles of HBN 132 should be considered for new build endoscopy decontamination facilities. However, the requirements for a sterile services department (SSD) inspection assembly and packaging (IAP) room are not necessarily the same as for the clean side of an endoscopy decontamination room, in regard, for example, the number of air changes, HEPA filtration, and pressure differentials.

The Central Sterilising Club (CSC) formed a working party to produce best practice guidance on the requirements for air quality in refurbishments and newbuilds for endoscope decontamination, and has taken into account the fact that that not all departments are a ‘two-room’ design, since space, and the number of procedures carried out, may only allow a single room facility. The group was multidisciplinary, and the members represented various professional bodies This guidance describes the requirements for air quality in endoscope decontamination facilities as defined by the risk to staff, and to patients, and what is required in different types of room layout (single or double rooms).