Dispersion of exhaled droplet nuclei in a two-bed hospital ward with three different ventilation systems

Indoor Air
H QianA T Y Chwang

Abstract

Effective ventilation in general hospital wards is important for controlling the airborne transmission of infectious respiratory diseases. Experiments have been carried out to increase our understanding of the interaction of the breathing flows of two individuals in a full-scale experimental hospital ward with three ventilation systems, i.e. mixing, downward and displacement ventilation. Two life-size breathing thermal manikins were used to simulate a source patient and a receiving patient. The exhalation jet from a bed-lying manikin was visualized using smoke. N2O was used as tracer gas to simulate the droplet nuclei exhaled by patients; and the spatial distribution of its concentrations was measured. Our experimental results show that for both mixing and downward ventilation, the exhaled jet penetrates a short distance and is diluted quickly by ventilation air. The exhaled droplet nuclei are well mixed in the ward. Bed distance does not affect the personal exposure of the receiving patient. For displacement ventilation, the exhaled jet can penetrate a long distance. A high concentration layer of exhaled droplet nuclei because of thermal stratification locking has also been observed with displacement ventilation. This work is ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 5, 2012·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene·William G LindsleyJonathan V Szalajda
Sep 11, 2009·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Peter V Nielsen
Oct 10, 2009·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Raymond P Clark, Mervyn L de Calcina-Goff
Oct 10, 2009·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Julian W TangGary S Settles
Sep 24, 2009·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Raymond Tellier
Oct 9, 2009·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Xiaojian XieLi Liu
Jul 28, 2010·Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine·Ian J Clifton, Daniel G Peckham
May 6, 2008·American Journal of Infection Control·Clive B BeggsP Andrew Sleigh
May 19, 2011·Indoor Air·Y Li, P V Nielsen
May 20, 2014·Indoor Air·C XuR L Jensen
Jul 19, 2015·The Annals of Occupational Hygiene·Ehsan S Mousavi, Kevin R Grosskopf
Sep 4, 2016·American Journal of Infection Control·Jianjian Wei, Yuguo Li
Jan 4, 2017·PloS One·Jianjian Wei, Yuguo Li
Sep 7, 2016·Revista latino-americana de enfermagem·Caroline Lopes Ciofi-SilvaKazuko Uchikawa Graziano
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Jul 7, 2020·Physics of Fluids·Siddhartha VermaJohn Frankenfield
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Jan 1, 2015·Current Treatment Options in Infectious Diseases·Julian W TangCatherine J Noakes
Dec 15, 2020·Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery·Samaresh SrivastavaShail A Vasavada

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