Relative Air Humidity in Hospital Wards – User Perception and Technical Consequences

Abstract

Relative air humidity in hospitals is often perceived as low. This seems to be due to high indoor temperature or high particle concentration in the air. Perception of dry air, and low relative air humidity, can enforce the conditions for the HVAC system design so that the indoor environment can be improved. In this study, conducted in a hospital ward, measurements and questionnaire distribution to nursing staff and patients were carried out under both summer and winter conditions. The results showed that during summer and winter the relative air humidity and the humidity ratio indoors were low, and that both staff and patients perceived the air as dry during those seasons. In order to change these conditions the indoor air has to be humidified.

Keywords

Relative humidity Hospital ward Field study Questionnaires

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Berglund LG : Comfort and humidity . ASHRAE J 2002;July: 35–41 .

Reinikainen LM : The effect of air humidification on different symptoms in office workers – an epidemiological study . Environ Intl 1991;17: 243–250 .

Stoops JL: The thermal environment and occupant perceptions in office buildings. Department of Building Services Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2000 (Licentiate’s dissertation).

Stoops JL: The physical environment and occupant thermal perceptions in office buildings – an evaluation of sampled data from five European countries. Department of Building Services Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2001 (Thesis).

Bengtsson M: The users perception of the indoor environment – a field study in a modern office building. Department of Building Services Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2003 (Licentiate’s dissertation) (in Swedish).

Skoog J: Indoor environment and user perception – a field study in a hospital ward. Building Services Engineering, Department of Building Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2004 (Licentiate’s dissertation).

ASHRAE Standard 55–1992: Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA , 1992.

ISO 10551: Ergonomics of the thermal environment – assessment of the influence of the thermal environment using subjective judgement scales. ISO, Geneva, Switzerland , 1995.

SPSS : SPSS for Windows. SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL , 2002.

10.

Rengholt U : Indoor climate and health. The National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden, 1991 (in Swedish).

11.

Nordstrm K : Indoor environment and air quality in hospital units – symptoms and signs. Department of Medical Science, Uppsala University, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden . 1999.

12.

ASHRAE : ASHRAE Handbook – Fundamentals (SI Edition). ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA , 2001.

13.

Nordström K , Norbäck D , Akselsson, R : Effect of air humidification on the sick building syndrome and perceived indoor air quality in hospitals – a four month longitudinal study . Occup Environ Med 1994;51: 683–688 .