Characterising hospital environments: HECOIRA project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterising the spatial and transient variation in hospital physical and microbial environmental conditions: Hospital Environment Control, Optimisation and Infection Risk Assessment (HECOIRA) project.
IRAS ID
236082
Contact name
Catherine J Noakes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
This project brings together expertise in infection control, microbiology, respiratory medicine and academics from the Schools of Civil and Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the University of Leeds. Together, we aim to understand the relationship between microorganisms on hospital patient room surfaces, patients' hands, healthcare workers' hands and in the air.
We aim to record the air quality during in an surgical rehabilitation unite and respiratory ward over 18 months while taking microbiological samples from ward surfaces, the air, patients and healthcare workers' hands over a period of 2 months. Simultaneously, healthcare worker surface contacts during non-intrusive patient care will be observed and recorded. These will be used to build up a picture of how the burden of microorganisms changes over time, improving our current understanding of infection risk in both single and multi-bed rooms.
These data will be linked to mathematical infection risk models to explore how design parameters (layout of rooms, ventilation, etc) and healthcare worker activities affect the potential for transmission of pathogens.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0301
Date of REC Opinion
10 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion