Fractional exhaled nitric oxide and respiratory symptoms in central sterile supply department workers exposed to different ventilation systems

Objective: To verify the association between different types of ambient ventilation in Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) values, and respiratory symptoms of workers . Methods: CSSD workers from five hospitals were evaluated in three different ventilation systems: negative air pressure, air conditioning, and natural ventilation. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was evaluated by The European Community Respiratory Health Survey. The respiratory inflammatory response was evaluated utilizing FeNO level measurements. Results: There was a general prevalence of respiratory symptoms in 5% of the workers investigated; there was no association between respiratory symptoms and ventilation systems (<i>p</i> = 0.170). Of the total workers investigated, 22% had FeNO levels ≥ 25 parts per billion (ppb), considered above the normal range, and there was a statistically significant difference between ventilation systems (<i>p</i> = 0.009) favoring natural ventilation. Conclusion: Exposure to the natural ventilation system reduced the chance of developing FeNO levels ≥ 25 by 94.3%.