CFD ASSESSMENT OF OPERATING ROOM

HVAC SYSTEMS DESIGN

Mahmoud Fouad* and M. Osama El samadony**

* Professor ** Graduate research student

Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Cairo University, Egypt
Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, El-Gamma Avenue, Giza, Egypt

ABSTRACT
In this paper computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques are used to evaluate the
efficiency of operating room HVAC systems in minimizing the risk of postoperative infection.
Seven different design configurations of operating room HVAC systems have been compared
numerically to assess their agreement with international standards of operating room
ventilation and airflow pattern requirements. The ventilation systems designs considered are
built-in using different air outlet devices, usual, laminar, non-aspirating, and slot diffuser
types. The airflow pattern of each configuration has been analyzed in terms of airflow
vectors, velocities, and turbulent intensity, and pollutant concentration distribution. It was
concluded that all the systems except for the non laminar flow one fulfilled well the
requirements of operating room ventilation, but, that unidirectional airflow with curtain and
zoned exponential unidirectional airflow configurations are the most versatile and energy
efficient.

Keywords: CFD, HVAC, operating room, anesthetic gases, Nitrous Oxide.

INTRODUCTION
Operating room is a complex environment that
requires ventilation for comfort and to control
hazardous emissions for patients, and surgical
staff. Indoor air quality is more critical in health
care facilities than in most other indoor
environments due to many dangerous microbial
and chemical agents present and due to the
increased susceptibility of the patients,
especially immunosuppressed persons.
The contamination of operating room air with
microbes and viruses is considered as a major
risk factor for surgical site infection (SSI). It
was been reported that 80-90% of bacterial
contamination found in an open wound comes
from ambient air1. Operating room air may
contain microbial-laden dust, lint, skin squames,
or respiratory droplets.
Lidewell2 and Whyte et al. intensively studied
the transmission of airborne germs in operating
rooms. These investigations resulted in the
finding that hygienic safety was definitely
achieved if less than 10 CFU*/m3 air was
detected in the operating area.
Several factors can affect postoperative
infection, including patient factors (e.g.,
susceptibility to infection), surgical field factors
(e.g., the thermal plume from the site), room
factors (e.g., cleanliness of the operating room),
and HVAC factors (e.g., air change rate [ACH]
and direction of airflow).
Healthcare personnel can also react negatively
to cleaning materials, sterilants, disinfectants,
and anesthetic gases.
The anesthetic gas and vapors that leak out and
into the surrounding room during medical

* CFU - Colony Forming Unit

1 1st. National conference on “Human performance in health and disability”, Egyptian Society of Fitness, Disability & Environmental Health
(ESFDEH), March 10-11, 2004, Cairo.