Based on the encouraging examinations carried out at the Intensive Care Unit 4131 at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet in Denmark, the Dolphin Care Air Sterilizer has been selected for a study at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. The study is aimed at testing the Air Sterilizer’s ability to help with reducing surgical site infections (SSIs).

SSIs are associated with increased morbidity, as well as high financial and human costs. In recent measurements taken at Korle Bu, high levels of air contamination by bacteria were found in both empty and active operating rooms. Due to the risk of airborne bacteria entering surgical wounds, bacteria in operating rooms may be implicated in SSIs. The elevated levels of airborne bacteria in empty operating rooms also indicate a need for improved ventilation.

The study will assess the air quality in operating rooms without active air cleaning and compare it to operating rooms employing the Dolphin Care Air Sterilizer. The study will also seek to measure the extent to which the air quality in these rooms correlates with the incidence of SSIs.

Our hypothesis is that, as the Air Sterilizer reduces the number of CFUs in each room, the number SSIs will be reduced as well.