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HEALTH SECTOR NEWS ‘Taking preventative science to a new level’
Researchers at NUI Galway and Queen’s University Belfast are investigating how attaching sugar molecules to plastics could give medical devices a new layer of protection from infection. The SUGARCOAT project is among
62 research collaborations supported by the Government’s Shared Island fund. Dr Joseph Byrne of NUI Galway, and Dr Matthew Wylie of Queen’s University Belfast, are working together to tackle hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) associated with devices by ‘taking preventative science to a new level’. The team is attempting to harness the science behind sugar molecules’ interaction with bacterial proteins to make fluorescent materials which glow at first, ‘darkening when they become compromised by bacteria’. The technology would be attached to plastics which coat medical devices – such as urinary catheters or endotracheal tubes – allowing clinicians to spot potential infection early. Dr Byrne, Honorary Research lecturer in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at NUI Galway, explained: “Preventing bacterial infections is key to fighting antimicrobial resistance, and if this isn’t possible, then early detection through innovative sensing materials could act as
Research Centre for Medical Devices at NUI Galway, and Professor Colin McCoy, Head of School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast. The researchers say medical device-associated infections account for up to half of HAIs. Dr Byrne added: “Hospital-acquired
an alarm, allowing devices’ removal and replacement before infection becomes a more serious risk.” Dr Wylie, lecturer in Pharmaceutical
Materials Science at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Many types of bacteria contain special proteins, which allow them to seek out and attach to sugar molecules, which they can use to grow and cause infection within the human body. Our new sugar-decorated coatings will exploit this interaction as an early warning.” The project is being supported with
€193,000 from the Government’s Shared Island initiative, with the research team supported by senior colleagues, Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of CÚRAM, the SFI
Recognition for ED expansion at Romford hospital
Property and construction consultancy, Ingleton Wood, has received national recognition for the design and project management of a £2 m Rapid Assessment and First Treatment (RAFT) area in the Emergency Department at Queen’s Hospital in Romford. Its Billericay office provided architectural, mechanical, and electrical engineering, and project management services. The team won a Highly Commended in the Healthcare Project of the Year 2021 category at the Partnership Awards, in collaboration with Sodexo, and contractor, MJ Ferguson. Partner, Paul Cavalier, said: “We were delighted to receive a Highly Commended at the Partnership Awards. The Emergency Department is one of the most critical areas of the hospital, and this expansion – which allows for eight additional bedded bays and a fit- to-sit area for six patients, enables the Trust to see many more patients in a safe environment. It also allows ambulance crews to handover patients faster. It was a challenging project undertaken during
bacterial infections are a major issue across the entire island of Ireland, and I’m excited to forge a new and lasting relationship with counterparts in Belfast to deliver meaningful new tools in fighting this challenge. The research allows me to combine my chemistry research with more patient-facing researchers and healthcare stakeholders to increase our societal impact.” Dr Wylie added: “We’re delighted to be
able to pursue this innovative research under the Shared Island fund. It will support two early-career researchers, and open up opportunities for collaboration with industry and clinicians in both the North and South of Ireland, particularly as Galway is a global hub for medical device companies, and Queen’s has vast experience of collaborating with medical device companies across the UK and Ireland.” The photo shows Dr Joseph Byrne in a research laboratory, holding tubing coated with a fluorescent polymer.
‘Thought-leaders’ discuss new water safety standard
the pandemic in a live environment. The achievement is testament to the incredible partnership between us, Sodexo, and MJ Ferguson.” The Partnership Awards recognise excellence in the construction industry between public-private partnerships, with the 2021 Awards focusing on projects responding to challenges that the pandemic brought. The judging panels are made up of over 30 industry professionals representing both the public and private sectors. The RAFT expansion of the Emergency Department was part of a substantial investment to upgrade emergency facilities, managed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Thought-leaders from across the healthcare sector recently joined Armitage Shanks to discuss the impact of a new British Standard, BS 8580-2: 2022, for those involved in preventing the spread of waterborne infection. BS 8580-2: 2022 deals with risk
assessments for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other waterborne pathogens. Hosted at the manufacturer’s London Design & Specification Centre, the Water Safety Forum saw experts from clinical infection control, microbiology, engineering, and hospital water services management, discuss the standard’s implications for multidisciplinary teams in healthcare environments, the need for greater awareness and training on infection control, the importance of properly designed and maintained handwash stations, and manufacturers’ role in engaging with the water safety community to create innovative products guided by scientific evidence.
September 2022 Health Estate Journal 13
Aengus McMahon
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