Negative room pressure is a technique used in hospitals and laboratories to control airborne contaminants. The ventilation system creates negative pressure, which prevents contaminated air from escaping and encourages clean air to flow in. The air passes through a filtration system before being discharged safely. Patients and workers should not notice anything unusual, but if the room feels stuffy, the ventilation system may need to be evaluated.
Negative room pressure is an isolation technique that hospitals and laboratories can use to control an environment where contaminants may be present. Airborne contaminants in the room will remain under control in a negative pressure room, rather than escaping into the rest of the facility. In hospitals, this is needed for patient isolation rooms when patients have conditions like tuberculosis and could spread the disease in a regular room or open ward. Laboratories may also rely on negative pressure chambers to protect against certain types of biological and chemical hazards.
This concept is based on the fact that air will move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. The air pressure wants to equalize and the air will keep moving until the pressure stabilizes. With negative ambient pressure, the ventilation system pushes air out faster than air can get in. This creates a negative pressure and encourages air from the halls and neighboring rooms to flow into the negative pressure room, rather than allowing the contaminated air to escape.
Air passes through a negative pressure room approximately 12 times an hour to keep it cool and breathable. The air expelled from the room moves through a filtration system which extracts contaminants and discharges the air safely into the surrounding environment. Many biohazards are very sensitive to ultraviolet light and fail quickly as soon as air escapes to the outside. The room’s negative-pressure ventilation system may vent to a rooftop or other low-traffic area to ensure everything breaks down before it comes into contact with people who may be vulnerable.
With negative ambient pressure, it is very difficult for contaminants in one room to travel to the rest of the facility. Healthcare workers and researchers can move about the room freely and usually rely on a small anteroom between it and their surroundings to minimize pressure differential disruptions caused by opening and closing doors. After working in the room, it may be necessary to decontaminate, change clothing or take other measures to protect health and safety.
Patients in a negative ambient pressure environment should not notice anything out of the ordinary. The ventilation system is discreet and does not disturb sleep or conversations. Regular air changes keep the room cool and the filters can also treat the recirculated air. If the room begins to feel stuffy or stuffy, this could be a sign that the ventilation system is malfunctioning and a technician should evaluate it and make any necessary adjustments or repairs.
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