Air Quality in the operating room: use of parametric models in BIM to identify criticality and interference with building and plant aspects.

Within the IM.PA.C.T. project (IMproving the health of the PAtienls by supporting dynamiC healTh syslems and new technol­ogies), promoted by the Apulia Region (Italy), the microbiologica! quality of the air was evaluated in the operating theatres (OT), according to building and plani aspects. The study involved 33 orthopedic OTs, of which 17 having a Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system with mixed air flow OTs (M-OT) and 16 with turbulent flow (T-OT). It was developed with the survey of building and plant data, followed by the design of BIM (Building Informati on Modeling) models for the lwo types of OT, one for M-OT and one for T-OT. The modelling phase was carried out using the Scan to BIM methodology, integrating the terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) sur­vey. The analysis permitted to identify the main architectural and planl features and criticalities of the OTs; then correlateci with the microbiologica[ air data (cfu/m3 obtained by Smface Air System-SAS and Coriolis®µ). The detected microbiologica! contamination differs with respect lo the OT type of planimetry (the median values increase with geometrica! complexity: 18 cfu/m3 with SAS, 25 cfu/m3 with Coriolis®µ for the more regular OT, 53 cfu/m3 with the SAS, 101 cfu/m3 with the Coriolis®µ for the SO with more complex geomelry), the position of the extractions of the HVAC (20 cfu/m3 with SAS, 24 cfu/m3 with Coriolis®µ for symmetrical layout, 42 cfu/m3 with SAS, 50 cfu/m3 with Coriolis®µ for asymmetric layout). The application of BIM process has made il possible to quantify factors that have until now been qualitatively assessed and can serve as a basis for a more in-depth fluid-dynamic simulation of air flows. From the first data emerges a relationship between geometrie conformation of OT and microbial charge of air. Subsequenl investigations will allow us to undersland the role of other paramelers and provide scientific evidence necessary lo prepare a shared standardization of the recuning features in existing OT and possible improvemenl interventions.