Focus: Infection Control

Study: Outside temperature impacts pathogens in climate-controlled ICUs

The outside temperature can influence the indoor temperature


The outside temperature can influence the indoor temperature in climate-controlled health care units. That in turn may impact multidrug-resistant organisms (MRDOs), according to an article on the Healio website.

A study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, found a negative association between humidity and overall MDROs and gram-negative pathogens in units without climate control, and a positive association between temperature and overall MDROs, overall gram-positive pathogens, VRE and P. aeruginosa in the climate-controlled ICU.

Researchers found that temperature did not have a detectable impact on the incidence of MDROs in the non-climate-controlled wards.

For both the ICU and the non-climate-controlled wards,  the study found that the inside temperature was significantly correlated with the temperature measured at a nearby meteorological station, indicating that weather conditions outside influenced indoor temperatures.

Read the article.

 



May 24, 2019


Topic Area: Infection Control


Recent Posts

Disinfectant Contact Time: The Case for Biofilm Disruption

Contact time, while essential for compliance, does not reliably predict microbial reduction on actual healthcare surfaces.


Texas HHSC Reaches Construction Milestone for Panhandle State Hospital in Amarillo

Construction is expected to be completed in fall 2027.


Mon General Succumbs to Phishing Cyberattack

Its investigation ultimately determined that an unauthorized party gained access to certain Mon General email mailboxes on May 6, 2026.


The HVAC Dilemma: To Repair or Replace?

Healthcare facilities that keep repairing and optimizing aging systems past their useful life spend money on a problem they cannot solve without capital investment.


Department of Veterans Affairs Signs Lease for Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Kentucky

Construction and facility preparation are expected to be completed by the winter of 2027, and the first patient should be seen by spring 2028.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.