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 http://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 http://www.myAeroMed.com or by calling toll free 866-692-3766.

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