An isolation room is a specialized hospital space with negative air pressure that contains airborne pathogens within the room and prevents their spread to adjacent areas. These rooms protect healthcare workers and other patients from infectious diseases. They feature dedicated exhaust systems, anteroom controls, and continuous pressure monitoring.
Design Parameters
Isolation rooms maintain 2.5-12.5 Pa negative pressure relative to corridors. Air changes occur 12-20 times per hour with 100% outside air supply and exhaust through HEPA filtration. Supply air enters through high-wall diffusers while exhaust occurs at floor level, creating directional airflow containing contamination. Anteroom positive pressurization creates air lock functionality.
Operational Controls
Differential pressure monitors with audible and visual alarms maintain continuous surveillance. Doors are interlocked to prevent simultaneous opening between isolation room and anteroom. HEPA exhaust filtration occurs before air leaves the building.
Healthcare Importance
Properly designed isolation rooms reduce healthcare worker infection rates by 80-90%. During pandemic periods, hospital isolation room capacity becomes the limiting factor for admissions. Construction or retrofit of a single isolation room costs 25,000-50,000 dollars and requires 4-8 weeks.