510
Generalized Needs and Requirements: Hospital Needs
In addition, air locks have been employed occasionally to maintain an
aseptic barrier.
To maintain an acceptable level of asepsis, certain conditions or activities
should occur. These include:
1. Frequent cleaning, particularly of floors and other horizontal surfaces
which may collect dust and moisture droplets.
2. Periodic windows (or germicidal fogging) of walls and semi-concealed
areas where pathogenic colonies may grow.
3. Proper techniques by staff members to avoid cross contamination
between rooms (or patients) and to avoid circulating unnecessary dust
and moisture particles while conducting their assigned tasks.
4. Pathogenic control of ventilation air through a program of periodic
inspection and replacement (or cleaning) of air filters plus periodic
germicidal cleaning of duct work and terminals.
5. The organization of service systems or equipment to minimize entry by
maintenance personnel into the patient environment and particularly to
avoid the opening of concealed spaces which may harbor uncontrolled
pathogenic colonies, for example the removal of a "lay-in" ceiling tile in
a patient's room to reach a valve or change a filter.
512.6
MATERIALS HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION
512.6.1
Supply and Disposal Systems
1. Trends
These systems along with the transportation system have for many
years been a major determinant of hospital organization and
configuration.
Hospital supplies may be categorized as either reprocessed or
disposable. As hospital based labor costs increase, fewer items will be
reprocessed in the hospital; however, in certain instances, groups of
hospitals are likely to organize joint industrialized plants to reprocess
supplies. Out-of-hospital processing usually implies increased storage
capability either in individual departments or, more often, at a central
location.
2-6
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