Drug-resistant bacteria in hospital wards - the role of ventilation

• To limit the airborne spread of infectious agents (antibiotic-resistant bacteria) in hospital wards is an increasing world-wide concern. A multi-disciplinary Swedish research team is together with industry focusing on this problem. New knowledge is sought on how building ventilation services should be designed to minimize the risk of airborne infectious agents. In the literature there is strong and sufficient evidence to demonstrate the association between ventilation, air movements in buildings and the transmission/spread of diseases. There is, however, insufficient data to specify and quantify the minimum ventilation requirements in relation to the spread of infectious diseases via the airborne route. The latest developments in the advanced numerical simulation (CFD) methods offer new possibilities to follow the routes of airborne contaminants. Many ventilation parameters, including air flow rates, thermal and pressure conditions as well as the behavior of persons in the room are analyzed. The influence of both local air supply and local air exhaust has been analyzed and very promising results from this part of the work are presented. A bacterium spread from a patient confined to his bed was limited and for certain conditions almost eliminated. Ventilation and spatial parameter combinations to limit and prevent the spread of contaminants are mapped for different hospital wards. The risk of airborne transmission is modeled and discussed. Implementation in practice is sought via close collaboration with industry.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Hospital ward

airborne transmission

infectious agents

ventilation control

CFD

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)