Desired Ventilation Flows
About[]
Negative pressure room is an isolation technique used in hospitals and medical centers to prevent cross-contamination from room to room.[1][2] It includes a ventilation system that generates negative pressure to allow air to flow into the isolation room but not escape from the room, as air will naturally flow from areas with higher pressure to areas with lower pressure, thereby preventing contaminated air from escaping the room. This technique is used to isolate patients with airborne contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, or chickenpox.
Smoke test[]
A smoke test can help determine whether a room is under negative pressure.[3] A tube containing smoke is held near the bottom of the negative pressure room door, about 2 inches in front of the door. The smoke tube is held parallel to the door, and a small amount of smoke is then generated by gently squeezing the bulb. Care is taken to release the smoke from the tube slowly to ensure the velocity of the smoke from the tube does not overpower the air velocity. If the room is at negative pressure, the smoke will travel under the door and into the room. If the room is not a negative pressure, the smoke will be blown outward or will stay stationary.
Paper Test[]
A tissue test would show the tissue being sucked into the room. Instead of trying to remember the pressure requirement for different room types you only have to know that air should flow from CLEAN to DIRTY. The min. requirement for AHU filters in a patient care area is.....90%
Reference[]
- ↑ Negative Room Pressure to Prevent Cross-Contamination, Clean Air Solutions, Camil Farr, Retrieved 2010-03-10.
- ↑ Isolation Rooms & Pressurization Control, Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering, © 2008 The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
- ↑ Title: Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms, Minnesota Department of Corrections, Issue date 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2010-03-12.