AUTHOR=Lee Dong Hoon , Yeom Sujung , Lee Hwa Sin , Cho Hyong-Ho 

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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1375260

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2024.1375260

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Background: After the COVID-19 outbreak, interest in airborne virus infections has increased. We considered ways to reduce the risk of infection to other people by inactivating the virus before it is inhaled into the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. We installed a recently developed air sterilizer in the newly remodeled outpatient clinic of a tertiary university hospital and confirmed its effectiveness.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.