Effect of air sterilizers in an outpatient clinic at a tertiary university hospital

Abstract

Abstract Background: After the COVID-19 outbreak, interest in airborne virus infections has increased. In lieu of natural ventilation, mechanical sources of ventilation are required to help reduce the occurrence of airborne viruses. With this in mind, we attempted to confirm whether mechanical ventilation could diminish the presence of airborne toxins by installing a recently developed air sterilizer in a newly remodeled outpatient clinic at a tertiary university hospital. Methods: After remodeling the ENT outpatient clinic at Chonnam National University Hospital, 15 KOKKOS air sterilizers (Bentech Frontier Co., Ltd., Gwangju, Korea) were installed. Total culturable microorganisms (TCMs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured in five separate inspection areas three days before installation, two weeks after installation, and four weeks after installation. Results: After measurement of TCMs, improvement in air quality occurred two weeks after air sterilizer instatement at all timepoints except inspection area 5, and further improvement was achieved after four weeks (p< 0.05). After assessment of VOCs, improvement occurred four weeks after air sterilizer connection at all points (p< 0.05). Conclusions: KOKKOS air sterilizers are effective in improving air quality in an outpatient clinic at a tertiary university hospital.