Assessment of an Ultraviolet Air Sterilizer on the Incidence of Childhood Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Day Care Centre Indoor Air Quality

Abstract

A double-blind trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of an ultraviolet air sterilizer in reducing the incidence of upper respiratory infections in children and the concentration of micro-organisms in 3 day-care centres located in Montreal. A population of 122 children (12-36 months of age) was under daily surveillance for respiratory illness during an average period of 12 weeks. Four ultraviolet and four control units were placed in the children's rooms. Indoor parameters were measured in four rooms, before and after installation of the devices. Even when a reduction in concentration of indoor micro-organisms was observed, the effect of the devices on the respiratory illness was negligible. The results suggest that the other routes of infection transmission are predom inant in the day-care centre.

Keywords

Day-care centres Ultraviolet air sterilizer Infection control Respiratory illness Absenteeism Indoor air quality

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Downes A. , Blunt TP : Research on the effect of light upon bacteria and other organisms . Proc R Soc Lond 1877;26:488-500.

Ward MH : Experiments of the action of light on Bacillus anthracis. Proc R Soc Lond 1892; 52:393-403.

Finsen NR : Die Resultate der Behandlung des lupus vulgaris durch konzentrierte chemische Lichtstrahlen. Allg Wien Med Z 1990 ;A5:60-65.

Henri V. : Etude de l'action métabiotique des rayons ultraviolets. Modification des caractères morphologiques et biochimiques de la bactéridie charbonneuse. Hérédité des caractères acquis. CR Acad Sci ( Paris ) 1914;159: 340-343.

Uban N. , Norman D. : Klinische Erfahrungen mit der Ultra-Violett-Raumbestrahlung bei Säuglingen . Arch Kinderheilkd 1952;144:17-26.

Nutini LG : The growth-promoting role of ultraviolet in wound healing. Aerobiology 1942; 17:193-196.

Nardell EA : Ultraviolet air disinfection to control tuberculosis in a shelter for the homeless; in Kundsin R (ed): Architectural Design and Indoor Microbial Pollution. New York, Oxford University Press, 1988 , pp 296-308.

Riley RL , Permutt, S. : Room air disinfection by ultraviolet irradiation of upper air. Arch Environ Health 1971;22:208-219.

Langmuir AD Jarrett ET , Hollaender A. : Studies of the control of acute respiratory diseases among naval recruits. 3. The epidemiological pattern and the effect of ultraviolet irradiation during the winter 1946-47. Am J Hyg 1948;48: 240-251.

10.

Cruickshank R. , Andrewes CH , Bedford T. , Bradley WF , Henderson DW , Hill BA , Lidwell OM , Lovelock JE , Wilson GS , Reid DD , Williams Red : Air disinfection with ultraviolet irradiation: Its effect on illness among school-children. Medical Research Council Special Rep Ser 283. London, HMSO, 1954, 89 pp.

11.

Ronge HE : Ultraviolet irradiation with artificial illumination. A technical, physiological and hygienic study. Acta Physiol Scand 1948 ; 49(suppl 15):1-191.

12.

Wells WF : Studies on airborne infection. Science 1940 ;92:457-458.

13.

Higgons RA , Hyde GM : Effect of ultraviolet air sterilization upon incidence of respiratory infections in a children's institution. A six-year study. NY. State J Med 1947;47:707-710.

14.

Bourdillon RB , Lidwell OM : Air disinfection by ultraviolet radiation. Field trials with ultraviolet radiation. Studies in air hygiene. Special Report Series 262. London, HMSO, 1948, pp 188-189.

15.

Downes J. : Control of acute respiratory illness by ultraviolet lights. Am J Public Health 1950; 40:1512-1520.

16.

Greene D. , Barenberg LH , Greenberg B. : Effect of irradiation on the air in a ward on the incidence of infections of the respiratory tract. With a note on varicella. Am J Dis Child 1941: 61:273-275.

17.

17 a Regard GL : L'action préservatrice des rayons ultraviolets contre l'infection . Bull Mém Soc Natl Chir 1925;25:803-809.

18.

17 b van Lier M. : Note sur l'emploi, en chirurgie humaine des rayons ultraviolets comme unique mode de stérilisation. A propos de 800 irradiations au cours d'opération faites sans aucune asepsie. Bull Mém Soc Natl Chir 1925;25:809-813.

19.

Paschoud H. : Traitement des péritonites suppurées. Introduction à l'emploi des ultra-violets en chirurgie opératoire. Rev Méd Suisse Romande 1934;8:770-787.

20.

Nicole R. : Peritonitisbehandlung mit gefiltertem Ultraviolettlicht: Unsere Erfahrungen mit der Laparoskoplampe nach Havlicek. Zentralbl Chir 1935;49:2894-2897.

21.

Moure P. , Bastien P. : Appareil émetteur de rayons infra-rouges et ultra-violets au cours des opérations . Mém Acad Chir 1936;42:422-424.

22.

Hart D. : Operation room infections. Control of airborne pathogenic organisms with particular reference to the use of special bactericidal radiant energy: Preliminary report . Arch Surg 1936:34:874-886.

23.

Kraissl CJ , Cimiotti JG , Meleney FL : Considerations in the use of ultraviolet radiation in operating rooms . Ann Surg 1940;111:161-185.

24.

Wright RL , Burne JF : Effect of ultraviolet radiation on post-operative neurosurgical sepsis . J Neurosurg 1969 ;31:533-537.

25.

Lowell JD : The ultraviolet environment. Orthop Rev 1979 ;8:111-115.

26.

Bastien J. : Les irradiations infra-rouges et ultraviolettes en chirurgie opératoire; thèse Paris, Paris, Libraire E. Le François, 1937.

27.

Fraser R. : Ultraviolet radiation in surgery. Can Med Assoc J 1944;51:403-409.

28.

Carlsson ÅS , Nilsson B. , Walder MH , Osterberg K. : Ultraviolet radiation and air contamination during total hip replacement. J Hosp Infect 1986;7:176-184.

29.

Brooks GL , Wilson WA , Blackfan KD : Studies of cross-infection in the infants' hospital in Boston. Aerobiology. 1942;17:288-232.

30.

Sauer LW , Minsk LD , Rosenstern I. : Control of cross-infections of the respiratory tract in a nursery for young infants: A preliminary report. J Am Med Assoc 1942;118:1271-1274.

31.

Sommer HE , Stokes J. : Studies of airborne infection in a hospital ward. 1. The effect of ultraviolet light of cross-infection in an infant's ward. J Pediatr 1942;21:569-576.

32.

Mundo Fé.Del. McKhann CF: Effect of ultraviolet irradiation of air on incidence of infections in an infants' hospital. Am J Dis Child 1941;61:213-225.

33.

Riley RL , Mills CC , O'Grady F. , Sultan LU , Wittstadt F. , Shivpuri DN : Infectiousness of air from a tuberculosis ward. Ultraviolet irradiation of infected air: Comparative infectiousness of different patients. Am Rev Respir Dis 1962;85:511-525.

34.

Thomas JC , Bourdillon RB , Lidwell OM : Studies on the disinfection of air by recirculation through cloth filters and past ultraviolet lamps. Studies in Air Hygiene Special Report Series 262 . London, HMSO, 1948, pp 208-223.

35.

Miettinen O. : Estimability and estimation in case-referent studies. Am J Epidemiol 1976; 103:226-235.

36.

Kleinbaum D. : Epidemiologic Research. Principles and Quantitative Methods. Belmont, Lifetime Learning Publications, 1982.

37.

Isoard P. : (Co-ordinator of the Committee) Guide de la biocontamination - Stérilisation. ASPEC, APRIA, COBAC. Paris, Lefrancq , 1988, chapter 4.

38.

Fannin KF : Reducing airborne infection risks among the immune-deficient. Proc 5th Int Conf on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Toronto, July 27, 1990, vol 3, pp 127-132.

39.

Soto JC , Guy M. , Deshaies D. , Durand L. , Allaire C. , Gratton J. , Bélanger L. , Ringuette L. : A community health approach for infection in day-care centers. Proc Int Conf on child day-care health. Atlanta, June 15, 17, 1992.