Smart design combats super bug

Hospitals around the world have become increasingly worried about the risks of crossinfection between patients, particularly with the rise of ‘super bugs’ resistant to antibiotics.

Alarmingly, research indicates that one in 10 patients will acquire an infection during their hospital stay.

A first-of-its-kind study at Leeds University, by the Pathogen Control Engineering (PCE) research group in the School of Civil Engineering, has found that making simple changes to the design of hospital wards and ventilation systems could be a critical factor in controlling outbreaks of serious airborne infections, such as SARS, influenza and tuberculosis, as well as some well-known hospital pathogens like acinetobacter and MRSA.

The study’s findings will inform the UK’s new guidelines for the ventilation of healthcare facilities.

'There is evidence that 10 to 20% of infections are spread through the air, but until now, their role in the infection chain has been largely overlooked, as doctors tend to emphasise the importance of washing hands and avoiding physical contact,' said principal investigator Dr Andrew Sleigh.