AeroMed Products Can Help Healthcare Facilities with Bioterrorism Preparedness
The federal government, through HRSA, has made grant money available to healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of infectious disease resulting from a bioterror attack. AeroMed manufactures several models of HEPA air purifiers that may be used to create negative pressure isolation rooms which are required as a benchmark for participating in these grant programs.
(PRWEB) June 17, 2005 -- AeroMed, Inc. of Amsterdam, NY, is a leading
manufacture of HEPA air purification systems for infectious disease control.
AeroMed’s products are typically applied in applications involving tuberculosis
and SARS control in health care facilities but may also be used in bioterror
applications.
The federal government has determined that health care
facilities may be at additional risk of nosocomial transmission of disease as
the result of a bio-terror attack. The Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) has created the Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness
Program. According to HRSA’s web site “the goal of this program is to aid state,
territory, and selected entities in improving the capacity of the health care
systems, including hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient facilities, EMS
systems, and poison control centers, to respond to incidents requiring mass
immunization, isolation, decontamination, diagnosis, and treatment, in the
aftermath of terrorism or other public health emergencies.” HRSA funds have been
made available to health care facilities for the Bioterrorism Hospital
Preparedness Program (see www.hrsa.gov/bioterrorism/index.htm).
Facilities
awarded a HRSA grant, are required to meet specific benchmarks. One of
benchmarks is the creation of negative pressure rooms for isolation surge
capacity. HRSA states that “these rooms may be used to isolate suspected cases
of a highly infectious disease (e.g., smallpox, pneumonic plague, SARS,
influenza and hemorrhagic fevers) or febrile patients with a suspect rash or
other symptoms of concern who might be developing a highly communicable
disease.”
AeroMed manufactures many models of HEPA filter air purifiers
that may be used to create negative pressure isolation rooms. These include
portable and ducted units as well as wall and ceiling mounted units. The
purifiers are used to treat 200 – 800 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air
exhausted from or recirculated within an isolation room. Several of the models
are available with optional ultra violet (UV) lights as a supplement to HEPA
filtration. AeroMed also provides room pressure monitors in order to comply with
AIA (American Institute of Architects) recommendations, quantifying that
negative pressure rooms are performing properly.
According to company
president, Bill Palmer, many hospitals and health departments throughout the
United States are already using these products for their isolation rooms. Palmer
says that other products manufactured by the company such as their aerosol
treatment chamber (sputum induction booth) are also used in health care
facilities across the country.
Additional information regarding the use
of these products to create negative pressure isolation rooms may be obtained by
visiting the company’s WEB site at www.myAeroMed.com or by calling toll free
866-692-3766.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb251949.htm