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The Impact of Hospital-Ward Ventilation on Airborne-Pathogen Exposure.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Grogono, Dorothy 
Dello Ioio, Gennaro 
Curran, Martin 
Barbour, Kathryn 

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of protecting patients and healthcare workers (HCW) from nosocomial infection1. Hospital-associated infection can occur through contact with contaminated surfaces, by droplets generated by coughing or sneezing settling on exposed mucous membranes, or through direct inhalation of aerosols. Whilst the contribution of each route differs according to the setting and type of infection, the ventilation within hospitals are a key determinant of infection risk from airborne pathogens2,3, with low ventilation rates associated with increased risks of transmission of, for example, tuberculosis and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) 4,5. For patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), acquisition of multidrug-resistant pathogens from other patients represents one of the greatest threats to health6, with both experimental data7 and room sampling8 highlighting the risk of cross infection through long-lived infectious aerosols.

Description

Keywords

Adult, Air Microbiology, Air Pollution, Indoor, Cross Infection, Disease Transmission, Infectious, Female, Hospitals, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Exposure, United Kingdom, Ventilation

Journal Title

Am J Respir Crit Care Med

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1073-449X
1535-4970

Volume Title

203

Publisher

American Thoracic Society

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (107032/Z/15/Z)
Wellcome Trust, Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Royal Papworth Hospital.