ICUs and Patient Rooms

The aerobiological hazards in intensive care units, patient rooms in the general wards, hospital laboratories, and other areas are addressed in this chapter. Topics addressed here include gastrointestinal illnesses, sinusitis, UTIs, and ocular infections. ICUs may have unique problems and are subject to infections from particular pathogens. Patient rooms and the general wards are often subject to respiratory and other infections. Hospital laboratories create special hazards for workers. Table 13.1 summarizes the various airborne pathogens that may occur in general wards, patient rooms, and ICUs, excluding the respiratory pathogens that were addressed in Chapter 11. One new potential airborne pathogen is included here, in addition to those in Table 4.1: Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria has been previously suspected of airborne transport and is herein assigned Airborne Class 2.