An efficient analytical method for particle counting in evaluating airborne infectious isolation containment using fluorescent microspheres.

The containment performance of patient isolation enclosures, particularly expedient surge capacity enclosures, must be verified to protect health care providers and staff, other patients, and hospital visitors. Tracer gas methods are often used, but requirements for special equipment and training limit the technique's utility. A technologically simple yet accurate and precise particle-based technique is needed to measure the low count concentrations of escaping airborne particles that might be present outside an isolation enclosure. Reported here is the performance of such a technique employing micrometer-sized fluorescent polystyrene latex microspheres as a surrogate for pathogenic bioaerosols. Particles are released into the isolation enclosure, air is sampled inside and outside the room to capture airborne particles on 25 mm diameter filters, and the number of particles deposited on a filter is quantified using an optimized random field counting approach. The technique accurately estimates the number of surrogate bioaerosol particles on the filter, allowing calculation of the airborne particle concentrations inside and outside the enclosure, and the containment efficiency. This technique can be employed using generally available equipment and inexpensive supplies and also can minimize the number of particle counts that must be performed. The method is shown to be specific, sensitive, and accurate.