Hospital Room Air Pressure

Minimizing Entry of Airborne Microbes into a Patient's Room

To minimize entry of airborne microbes into the room of a patient with a weak immune system, keep the air pressure in the patient's room higher by at least 0.002 inches of water column (0.5 Pascals) than the air pressure in the corridor.  Isolation rooms should be monitored daily when in use to ensure the positive pressure is maintained.

NOTE: Excessive positive air pressure is unnecessary. It is wasteful of energy and may push enough moist air into cool wall cavities during cold weather to enable hidden mold growth in the walls.
For details, see: http://HealthAndEnergy.com/air_pressure_and_mold.htm

Minimizing Escape of Airborne Microbes from a Patient's Room

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidelines that require isolation rooms be kept at a negative pressure to contain infectious agents.

To minimize the escape of  microbes from the room of a patient infected by TB, SARS, or any other microbe that can spread through the air, keep the air pressure in the patient's room lower by at least 0.002 inches of water column (0.5 Pascals) than the air pressure on the other side of the room's door. Isolation rooms should be monitored daily when in use to ensure the negative pressure maintained. Isolation rooms should be monitored daily when in use to ensure the negative pressure is maintained.

NOTE: Excessive negative air pressure is unnecessary. It is wasteful of energy and may pull enough moist air into cool wall cavities during the air conditioning season to enable hidden mold growth in the walls.
For details, see: http://HealthAndEnergy.com/air_pressure_and_mold.htm