• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.29-35
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• 2023

Purpose: The 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the lack of negative pressure isolation rooms and the fragility of the healthcare system. The need for healthcare facility transformation for respiratory infectious diseases has become more prominent due to COVID-19, and the purpose of this study is to provide a foundation for the rapid, economical, and safe construction of negative pressure isolation wards. Methods: This study analyzes the current status of hospitals that have been converted to negative pressure isolation rooms, and provides architectural plans and examples to provide a reference for bedroom change. Research data of this study have been obtained by analyzing the drawings of negative pressure isolation wards of nationally designated inpatient treatment beds and urgent isolation beds. In addition, the relevant literature of urgent isolation beds has been analyzed to derive bedroom change type. Result: In this study, a total of 21 isolation bed conversion methods have been presented. Implications: In order to change efficiently from a general ward to an isolation ward, it is necessary to consider the actual hospital's infectious disease transmission patterns and facility conditions.

• Air Cleaning Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.41-52
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• 2018

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.19-28
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to propose a design methodology to build temporary isolation rooms when infectious diseases suddenly occur in a certain region, such as the case of MERS-Cov in South Korea in 2015. Although most big hospitals usually have isolation rooms, they are expensive and dangerous to run such facilities on normal and typical days. To deal with these problems in this research, shipping containers are chosen as devices used to build the temporary isolation rooms near the original hospital. To do so, firstly, a prototype for the temporary isolation room was designed with the three part modules. The first part is for the medical team; the second part including the isolation rooms is for patients; the third part is for medical selection rooms to test the specimens. Secondly, the plan was compared with the MERS-Cov infection control guidelines. Finally this prototype is applied into the Yong-in Yon-sei severance hospital and then evaluated through a CFD simulation using STAR-CCM+(ver.9.06) for checking infectious bacterium movement in this prototype. The result showed that the prototype is effectively safe for patients tested as negative, patients waiting to be tested, and the medical team.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2018

Purpose: This study investigates the influences of coughing direction and healthcare worker's location on the transport characteristics of coughed particles in airborne infection isolation room (AIIR), which is commonly called negative pressure isolation room, with a downward ventilation system. Methods: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to simulate the airflow and for tracing the behavior of particles. Results: The results show that the airflow pattern and coughing direction have a significant influence on the characteristics of particle dispersion and deposition. When healthcare workers are in the isolation room with the patient who is lying on the bed, it is recommended to be located far from the anteroom to reduce the exposures from infectious particles. And when the patient is lying, it is more effective in removing particles than when the patient is in Fowler's position. Although it is an isolation room that produces unidirectional flow, coughing particles can spread to the whole room and a large number of particles can be deposited onto patient, bed, side rails, healthcare worker, ceiling, floor, and sidewall. Implications: Following the patients' discharge or transfer, terminal cleaning of the vacated room, furniture, and all clinical equipment is essential. Also, it is necessary to establish detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.89-97
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• 2022

Purpose: Because of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many cases of using portable negative pressure unit to convert general wards into temporary negative pressure isolation wards. The purpose of this study is to analyze the indoor environment of the switching type wards. Methods: Field measurements and experiments were conducted in a medical facility. Air volume, wind speed and pressure difference were measured in non-occupant state. Dispersion tests were performed with gas and particle matter. Results: The pressure difference between the wards and the corridor was higher than -2.5 Pa in normal situation. However, in the gas and particle dispersion tests, it was found that there were concerns about the spread through leakages in low-airtight walls or ceilings. In addition, it was confirmed that the pressure imbalance in ducts through the non-sealed diffusers could cause back flow during portable unit operation. Furthermore, when there was a pressure difference between adjacent wards planned to be at same pressure level, the possibility of the spread through the leakages was found. Implications: When using portable units for making switching type wards, it is necessary to create airtight space and seal the non-operation diffusers. In case of operating the air handling unit, T.A.B must be performed to adjust the duct balancing.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.69-77
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• 2023

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many cases of converting regular hospital wards into temporary negative pressure isolation wards. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the minimum airflow differences that satisfies the pressure difference criteria(-2.5 Pa) according to airtightness of switching type wards, in preparation for utilization of aging regular wards as negative pressure isolation wards. Methods: Visual inspection and field measurements were conducted using blower door to evaluate airtightness of 5 hospital wards. CONTAM simulation was used to assess the airflow differences when pressure difference between the corridor and wards met the criteria at various levels of airtightness. Results: The ACH₅₀ of evaluated wards ranged from 19.3 to 50.1 h^-1 with an average of 37.0 h^-1, indicating more than four times leakier than other building types. The minimum airflow differences increased as the airtightness of the wards decreased and the size of the wards increased. Implications: When operating rapidly converted negative pressure isolation wards, understanding airtightness is crucial for determining the minimum airflow differences to maintain the pressure differences. The analysis of this study suggests that improving the airtightness of aging rooms is essential and the minimum airflow differences should be suggested considering both the airtightness and size of rooms.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.79-86
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of Progressive Space Organization (ante-rooms) in Negative Pressured Isolation Unit(NPIU) such as National and Regional Isolation Units in Korea in order to build basic data for the evidence based design of Airborne Infection Isolation Units which should prepare and respond effectively to the public health crisis due to the hazardous airborne infectious disease. Methods: 1) Gas(SF6) test and analysis on the 23 Korean Isolation Units under operation. 2) Assessment of the isolation level of the space components by checking the Gas concentration. 3) Analysis of the Isolation Effectiveness according to Space Organizational levels. Results: 1) The higher segregation level is, the lower Gas(SF6) concentration is. 2) Too many segregations(anterooms) of Isolation Unit are not efficient for the prevention of infectious bacillus spread. For example, 4 level of segregation has similar segregation effect to the 3 level of segregation. Implications: Many anterooms in front of the isolated patient bedroom will guarantee the safe environment against the danger of hazardous airborne nosocomial infection. On the other hand, too many segregations is inefficient, expensive, inconvenient, narrow(unflexible) and so on. This study can be used as basic data for further development of design guidelines of isolation units.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2018

Purpose: In this study, through the comparison of the pressure fluctuation and air exchange volume in negative isolation room according to the type of the door and door opening/closing speeds, which is one of the main factors causing the cross contamination of the negative pressure isolation room, establishes standard operating procedures to prevent cross contamination in high risk infectious diseases and isolation room design. Methods: In this study, the air flow each of the room is analyzed using ANASYS CFX CODE for flow analysis. In addition, the grid configuration of the door is constructed by applying Immersed Solid Methods. Results: The pressure fluctuation due to the opening and closing of the hinged door was very large when the moment of the hinged door opened and closed. Especially, at the moment when the door is closed, a pressure reversal phenomenon occurs in which the pressure in the isolation room is larger than the pressure in the anteroom. On the other hand, the pressure fluctuation due to the opening and closing of the sliding door appeared only when the door was closed, but the pressure reversal phenomenon not occurred at the moment when the sliding door was closed, unlike the hinged door. As the opening and closing speed of the hinged door increases, the air exchange volume is increased. However, as the opening and closing speed of the sliding door is decreased, the air exchange volume is increased. Implications: According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that the pressure fluctuation due to the opening and closing of the hinged door is greater than the pressure fluctuation due to the opening and closing of the sliding door. In addition, it can be confirmed that the pressure reversal phenomenon, which may cause to reduce the containment effect in negative pressure isolation room, is caused by the closing of the hinged door. Therefore, it is recommended to install a sliding door to maintain a stable differential pressure in the negative isolation room. Also, as the opening and closing speed of the hinged door is slower and the opening and closing speed of the sliding door is faster, the possibility of cross contamination of the room can be reduced. It is therefore necessary to establish standard operating procedures for negative isolation room for door opening and closing speeds.

• Journal of Urban Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.13-20
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• 2020

The Recently, several countries have been affected by respiratory diseases, resulting in renewed research interest in their prevention and control. One such example was the 2015 outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea and COVID-19. In this study, we performed experiments and simulations based on concentration decay using CO2 as the tracer gas to elucidate the pollutant-removal efficiency for different inlet and exhaust locations and outdoor air-supply ratios. The wall inlet exhibited a higher pollutant-removal efficiency, owing to the upward movement of the air from the lower zone to the upper one. In conclusion, it is recommended that a total air-conditioning plan for isolation rooms be established as well as efficient system operation for pollutant removal and air-flow control to prevent the transmission of infections from the patients to others.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to identify the factors affecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection control practices of nurses in negative pressure isolation rooms. Methods : The participants were 150 nurses working in three hospitals with negative pressure isolation rooms. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using an independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 26.0 program. Results : Factors significantly influencing the subject's COVID-19 infection control practice include Being married (𝛽=.18, p =.016), working in a ward with negative pressure isolation rooms (𝛽=.44, p <.001), working in an ICU with negative pressure isolation rooms (𝛽=.27, p =.010), COVID-19 infection control attitude (𝛽=.28, p =.001), anxiety for COVID-19 (𝛽=.30, p <.001). The explanatory power of these variables for COVID-19 infection control practice was 24.6% (F=8.67, p <.001). Conclusion : It is expected that strategies that utilize positive attitudes which believe that COVID-19 disease may be overcome by COVID-19 infection control practice will help improve emerging infectious diseases infection control practice.