2008 Biology Environmental Science
SemanticScholar ID: 56084174 MAG: 2136584530

CFD modelling of a hospital ward: Assessing risk from bacteria produced from respiratory and activity sources

Publication Summary

SUMMARY It has been identified that potentially pathogenic bacteria, such as MRSA can be released from the skin during routine activities within hospital wards, such as bed-making, washing patients, dressing and walking. CFD is often used to study airflow patterns and ventilation regimes within hospitals, however such models tend not to consider these types of dispersal mechanisms and concentrate on respiratory transmission, using a point source at the mouth position. A zonal source is demonstrated to represent this release from activity within CFD simulations using both passive scalar and Lagrangian particle tracking. Sensitivity studies are carried out for point and zonal sources. The point source was found to not adequately represent the release of bacteria from a zone and therefore the zonal source is recommended to be used in conjunction with this type of source in order to simulate both respiratory and activity sources of bacteria.

CAER Authors

Avatar Image for Catherine Noakes

Prof. Catherine Noakes

University of Leeds - Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings

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