A growing role for ‘smart’ sensors

Dr Ghasson Shabha, senior lecturer at the Integrated Design and Construction Centre at the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU), and associate professor, Chris Conway, associate professor and the Centre’s acting head, explain their recent work to investigate ‘the latest development’ of incorporating smart sensor technology (SST) to monitor and detect airborne infection in British hospitals. Here they set out why they believe effective incorporation of such technology in healthcare facilities in this digital age is the sine qua non for an effective infection control strategy to mitigate against this ‘endemic problem’, and ask whether such smart sensors can indeed be the ‘panacea for hospitals’ ills’.

Hospitals are closely fitted buildings encompassing a wide range of specialised, highly serviced spaces, which are built for purpose, and, as such, encompass complex organisation, making them very difficult to manage. This is particularly the case when it comes to implementing a strong and effective infection control strategy, given that a ‘typical’ hospital environment can be a reservoir for potentially infective agents, which need to be controlled and managed effectively due to both the complex matrix of activities undertaken, and the diverse range of users – including visitors, patients, and staff, increasing the likelihood of cross-infection. Vulnerable patients with pre-existing health conditions (e.g. immunosuppressed individuals) are likely to be especially at risk. 

Airborne infection – one of the major potential risks in the hospital environment – is attributed to a wide range of bacterial and viral infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and C. difficile in particular are the most prevalent bacteria in UK hospitals. Together with other organisms, they remain a cause for concern over increasing incidences and fatalities due to healthcare-associated infection (HCAI). They have penetrated virtually every hospital, with a chronic endemic state remaining in most, resulting in episodes of cross-infection and sporadic outbreaks. One in 16 patients is developing infections on NHS wards because of poor hygiene among staff, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). It is claimed that 800 patients a day – or 300,000 a year – are infected by a member of staff or by dirty equipment. It is estimated that the MRSA and C. difficile-related infections cause 5,000 deaths annually and contribute to another 15,000 (The Daily Mail, February 2016).