Ambient air pollution in gastrointestinal endoscopy unit; rationale and design of a prospective study

A gastrointestinal endoscopy unit is frequently exposed to gastrointestinal gas expelled from patients and electrocoagulated tissue through carbonation for the treatment of gastrointestinal neoplasms or hemostasis of gastrointestinal bleeding. This can be potentially harmful to the health of not only the healthcare personnel but also patients who undergo endoscopic examinations. However, there has been scarce data on air quality in the endoscopy unit. This study aimed to measure the air quality in the gastrointestinal endoscopy unit. This is a prospective study using conventional portable passive air quality monitoring sensors in the gastrointestinal endoscopy unit. We will check the 6 main indoor air quality indices, as well as the atmospheric temperature, pressure, and humidity in the endoscopy unit of a single hospital in Korea. These indices are as follows: carbon dioxide (CO2), total volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter that has a diameter of