Rod Escombe

Rod Escombe replied to "Controversies in TB Transmission Control: How important is natural ventilation to the spread of tuberculosis?" in the TB Infection Control community.

Whilst Lima is indeed a coastal city with a prevailing breeze off the Pacific Ocean, there are also many days when the breeze is light, or almost absent. I performed over 400 ventilation measurement experiments, over two years, during different seasons, different times of the day, and on windy days and on still days. I measured ventilation in top floor rooms facing the breeze, and in basement rooms tucked away on the leeside of buildings. ...

Rod Escombe replied to "Health Facilities in resource-limited setting" in the TB Infection Control community.

Dear Marina, Prof Mehtar above mentioned 'Whirly Birds', and these are indeed in use in Khayelitsha in a number of waiting rooms and consulting rooms. They are wind driven roof turbine ventilators, which are likely to be also use the stack effect. We have been investigating them in Khayelitsha, and the preliminary results are encouraging. We have measured 4-10 air-changes per hour in various rooms, and we are now trying to look at the determinants ...

Rod Escombe replied to "Problems with ultraviolet air disinfection in high burden settings" in the TB Infection Control community.

Dear All, It is great to see so much interest in UVGI. I agree with Ed that UVGI is an excellent complement to natural ventilation, which is suitable at night or in cold seasons when windows are likely to be closed. As mentioned above, our study in Lima demonstrated the effect of upper room UVGI on TB transmission in a hospital setting. We showed a 70% reduction in TB transmission, measured by guinea pigs housed ...

Rod Escombe started a discussion "Natural Ventilation of Health Care Facilities - Part 3" in the TB Infection Control community.

Part 3 covers the following: * Determinants of natural ventilation: - Cross ventilation - TB Isolation Room - Window designs - Use of prevailing wind and wind speed This document supported the 2008 "Engineering Methods for the Control of Airborne Infections: An International Perspective" course that took place at the Center of Continuing Professional Education at Harvard School of Public Health July 14-25, 2008. ** Access Index here:** http://www.ghdonline.org/ic/resource/natural-ventilation-of-health-care-facilities-x/

Rod Escombe started a discussion "Natural Ventilation of Health Care Facilities - Part 2" in the TB Infection Control community.

Part 2 covers the following: * Measuring ventilation * Results * Modern design hospitals * Limits and determinants of ventilation This document supported the 2008 "Engineering Methods for the Control of Airborne Infections: An International Perspective" course that took place at the Center of Continuing Professional Education at Harvard School of Public Health July 14-25, 2008. ** Access Index here:** http://www.ghdonline.org/ic/resource/natural-ventilation-of-health-care-facilities/