The Relationship between Inpatient Corridor Layout and the Risk Of Infection Transmission in Hospital: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: The physical design of the hospital is an important component of infection control measures to minimize the risk of transmission of infectious diseases. Most hospitals in developing countries are not scientifically designed including wards and corridors. This study aimed to review systematically the relationship of inpatient corridor layout in hospital with risk of infection transmission. Subjects and Method: A systematic review was conducted by searching published articles from 2010 to 2019, from databases including Scopus, ProQuest, and EBSCO. The keywords were “hospital OR inpatient AND corridor OR hallway OR passageway AND infection or healthcare-associated infection”. The inclusion criteria of this study were articles published in the last 10 years, full text, system, and open access. After review process, 9 articles were included in this review. Results: Two studies examined the effects of corridor shape on hospitals and mapped the distribution of infections. One article was related to aerosol dilution in the inpatient corridor, another related to energy efficiency as an effect of hospital corridor design. Three studies were concerned with infection transmission through the air, another investigated the use of natural ventilation in buildings. One article looked at the latest air system development. Conclusion: Looped double corridor has a higher risk of spread of infection compared to hybrid and double-loaded corridor. Movement in the looped double corridor is short, so the spread of infection can occur quickly. In addition to the shape of the corridor, the spread of infection in the inpatient room is also influenced by the particular air system used. In double-loaded corridors it is not recommended to apply natural ventilation.