Running cost and radiation burn related to ultraviolet air disinfection in hospital

Objective To examine the running cost of ultraviolet (UV)equipment for air disinfection and the cause of burn injuries induced by UV disinfection in hospitals for providing evidences to effective and safe operation of UV disinfection.Methods The Data on operative status of UV equipments for air disinfection in medical settings (including rooms for therapy,treatment,transfusion,hemodialysis,and delivery and cell separation chamber)and burn events related to UV air disinfection throughout 2014 in a general hospital in Wenzhou city were collected and analyzed.Results In 2014 the total current cost for the operation of UV air disinfection in the hospital was 1 653 715 (RMB yuan) and much higher than the total fixed cost (88 872);the current cost consisted of the labor costs for UV intensity detection (106 378) and daily disinfection operation (1 534 910),the cost for replacement and repair of ultraviolet lamp (10 000),and the cost for electricity (2 427);the fixed cost consisted of the cost for purchase (78 292) and installation (10 580) of UV equipments.Totally two radiation burns related to UV air disinfection were reported during the year and both the burns were caused by misoperation of UV disinfection equipment.Conclusion The manpower cost is relatively higher for hospital UV air disinfection and cost control and radiation burn prevention should be concerned for the efficient and safe operation of UV equipment for air disinfection at medical settings.