Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/10397/87739
Title: | A numerical study of ventilation strategies for infection risk mitigation in general inpatient wards | Authors: | Satheesan, MK Mui, KW Wong, LT |
Issue Date: | Aug-2020 | Source: | Building simulation, Aug. 2020, v. 3, no. 4, p. 887-896 | Abstract: | Aerial dispersion of human exhaled microbial contaminants and subsequent contamination of surfaces is a potential route for infection transmission in hospitals. Most general hospital wards have ventilation systems that drive air and thus contaminants from the patient areas towards the corridors. This study investigates the transport mechanism and deposition patterns of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) within a typical six bedded general inpatient ward cubicle through numerical simulation. It demonstrates that both air change and exhaust airflow rates have significant effects on not only the airflow but also the particle distribution within a mechanically ventilated space. Moreover, the location of an infected patient within the ward cubicle is crucial in determining the extent of infection risk to other ward occupants. Hence, it is recommended to provide exhaust grilles in close proximity to a patient, preferably above each patient’s bed. To achieve infection prevention and control, high exhaust airflow rate is also suggested. Regardless of the ventilation design, all patients and any surfaces within a ward cubicle should be regularly and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to remove microbial contamination. The outcome of this study can serve as a source of reference for hospital management to better ventilation design strategies for mitigating the risk of infection. | Keywords: | Ventilation Bioaerosol dispersion Indoor air quality (IAQ) Infection risk Hospital general ward Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) |
Publisher: | Tsinghua University Press, co-published with Springer | Journal: | Building simulation | ISSN: | 1996-3599 | DOI: | 10.1007/s12273-020-0623-4 | Rights: | © Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020 This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Building Simulations. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-020-0623-4 |
Appears in Collections: | Journal/Magazine Article |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
a0680-n01_879_BlindedManuscript_to_lib.pdf | Pre-Published version | 1.32 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Page views
162
Last Week
1
1
Last month
Citations as of Oct 13, 2024
Downloads
61
Citations as of Oct 13, 2024
SCOPUSTM
Citations
56
Citations as of Oct 17, 2024
WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations
50
Citations as of Oct 17, 2024
Google ScholarTM
Check
Altmetric
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.