• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.63-72
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to review the material handling system of the Airborne Infection Isolation Hospitals which is the one of the key elements of infection control and to improve the basic data for the planning and design of those facilities. Methods: Research was conducted by literature reviews and case studies for the material handling system of domestic and foreign Isolation hospitals. Results: The result of this study can be summarized into three points. First, a general isolation unit and a high level isolated unit need to be distinguished in terms of efficiency and safety. In particular, it is desirable that a high level isolated unit have to completely separate clean and soiled circulations, and soiled corridor should be installed by those means. By doing this, the medical staff can observe patient rooms and supply clean materials directly in the clean zone without wearing PPE, so that safety and work efficiency can be improved at the same time. Second, for the safe disposal of wastes, it is desirable to install a dedicated sterilizer per ward and sterilize it at least in the ward. In addition, It is desirable to install a central waste treatment room and a dedicated soiled corridor in consideration of the inadequate handling capacity and emergency situation. Third, the characteristics of material flow chart in the negative pressured isolation hospitals and the corresponding material handling system have been presented. Implications: Infection control is very important in safety, but it is necessary to respond to the symptoms of the patient.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.520-527
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• 2011

Recently, Influenza(AI, PI) patients have been increasing rapidly. But, there is a lack of isolation hospitals. In particular, according to increase the rate of patients with airborne infection, in order to prevent the spread of pathogens, design of layout plan and air conditioning system of isolation hospitals becomes more important to maintain patient's room as negative pressure. In this study, the spread of pathogens are analyzed as room differential pressure, moving time of medical staff and patients, and moving way in isolation hospitals by multizone simulation; CONTAM 2.4. Through the analysis, the ways to improve isolation hospital considered at the design step are reached to prevent the spread of pathogens effectively. Also, it verifies that HVAC system for isolation hospital is suitably designed as standard.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.7-16
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to establish the basic directions of the modular airborne infection isolation(AII) ward. Considering a specific function and purposed use as a modular AII ward, it is a chance to derive an address of current modular technology by overview the limitation and improvement of the existing modular architecture. Methods: In addition to the literature analysis on the configuration system of mobile hospitals, research cases on the operational effectiveness of the domestic and foreign mobile construction systems are analyzed. Results: In order to meet the various and strict space guidelines of the AII ward and a chance to improve limitations of uniformed existing modulars, AII modular the negative pressurized care setting should be minimized a structural restriction for reflecting its system on a architectural plan. For this unique requirements, it could be possible to apply various space boxes called infill box which needs to secure a large-scale space. So, a rahmen structure system could be adaptable for this purpose. A dead space between beams of the rahmen structure is to be used for MEP installation. Partial separation, dismantling, and repair should be possible by separating the MEP and infill box from the structure. The infill box must keep 3.5m width under the current Road Traffic Act. Implications: It is necessary to utilize and develop an improved construction method that can reduce the problems of existing steel modular and PC modular.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.17-28
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to provide basic data for the future construction plans of the Infectious Disease Hospitals by analyzing the area composition and required room ratios in the wards and ICU of currently under-construction infectious disease hospitals. Methods: 3 Methods have been used in this paper. 1) This study conducted a literature review on major considerations and related guidelines for hospitals specializing in infectious diseases using existing data. 2) Based on the objects and activities of the hospital space, zones and areas were set for each department according to infection control. 3) Based on the established zones and areas, basic plan drawings of three hospitals specializing in infectious diseases currently under construction were collected and architectural drawing analysis was performed. Results: 1) Infectious Diseases Hospital must have a spatial organization that can accommodate patient isolation, infection control, efficiency of medical service, and changes. 2) Zones for infection control are divided into negative pressure and non-negative pressure zones based on airborne precaution isolation. It is divided into clean and contaminated zone according to class of cleanliness by Aseptic technique. Areas are classified by objects (patients, healthcare workers, supplies) and activities (access, medical treatment, support), and a system for organizing space is established based on this. 3) By analyzing the area composition of each departmental area, each required room, and each required space in the wards and intensive care units, it provides basic data for the spatial organization for architectural planning of the infectious disease hospital. Implication: It can be used as basic data when planning related facilities by analyzing the characteristics of the space plan of the required room according to the relationship between activities, movement lines, and operation plans based on user behavior.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.73-82
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• 2017

Purpose: Since the facility guidelines for National Designated Isolation Unit wards(NDIUs) had been edited since 2016, all hospital who want to expand or install NDIU should adapt the new guidelines. Instead of providing area requirement, by the way, only essential or optional facility requirements are suggested except patient bedroom in the guidelines. So, as analyze area and area composition of the NDIUs, it could be expected that this study has a role as an area planing reference for not only NDIU but also another airborne infection isolation room. Methods: For the area analysis, 18 sample hospitals are selected among 2016 year applicants. All rooms in NDIUs are grouped as zones whether those are negative air pressurized or not and programed room or not. At the end, area of the zones are summarized and analysed a relationship between area increase and bed number by both correlation analysis and regression analysis. In addition, department usable and gross area per bed, N/G ratio, G/N ratio, and average area ratio of each zone is calculated. Results: First of all, rooms in none negative air pressurized zone of the NDIUs haven't shown a regular installation so that only those in negative air pressurized zone are targeted for the area analysis. Second of all, patient room unit(0.92) and support area(0.79), by correlation analysis, are correlated with total net area. Patient room unit(0.94) and total net area(0.79) are also shown a correlation with bed number. Department usable area($R^2=0.63$, y=36.278x + 102) and patient room unit area($R^2=0.89$, y= 27.993x - 0.8924) has a relationship with bed number by regression analysis. Average N/G is shown as 0.85 and G/N 1.36. Average area ratio of circulation, doffing area, patient room unit, and support area are 25.4%, 9.1%, 50.9%, and 14.6% in order. Implications: This study is a basic research for exploring the NDIUs guidelines to find resonable evidence to develop it for its practical use. Still, it is possibly expected that the guideline is to be developed by post occupancy evaluation in the area of where minimum requirement or facility grade needs to be defined, and by further studies with various perspectives.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2015

Since April 2012, more than 1,600 laboratory-confirmed human infections with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported, occurring primarily in countries in the Arabian Peninsula; the majority in Saudi Arabia. The MERS outbreak in Korea, which began in May 2015 through the importation of a single case who had recently traveled to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. As of November 28th, 186 secondary and tertiary cases had been reported; 38 deaths, mainly associated with underlying chronic illnesses, were reported. One case was exported to China and has been recorded as the first MERS case in China. Thirty-seven confirmed cases were associated with the index case, who was hospitalized from May 15 to May 17. Emergency room at one of the nation's largest hospitals had been affected by hospital-to-hospital and intra-hospital transmissions of MERS-CoV, resulting in an outbreak of 90 infected patients. The vast majority of 186 confirmed cases are linked to a single transmission chain associated with health facilities. The median age of patients is 55 years, with a range of 16 to 87 years. The majority (61%) of patients are men. Twenty-five (14%) of the cases involve healthcare workers. The overall median incubation period was six days, but it was four days for secondary cases and six days for tertiary cases. There has been no evidence of airborne transmission and sustained human-to-human transmission in communities. Intensified public health measures, including contact tracing, quarantine and isolation of all contacts and suspected cases, and infection prevention and control have brought the MERS-CoV under control in Korea. Since 4 July no new cases have been reported.