Which feature describes the purpose of a negative pressure isolation room?

Which feature describes the purpose of a negative pressure isolation room?

• A. It is designed to keep air from flowing out of the room to protect others.
• B. It uses positive air pressure to push air into the room.
• C. It has no effect on pathogen containment.
• D. It is used only for standard patient rooms.

Answer: (A)

Negative pressure rooms are designed to keep airborne contaminants from moving into surrounding areas. By maintaining lower pressure inside the room than in adjacent spaces, air naturally flows into the room when doors are opened, not out. This containment keeps pathogens from dispersing into hallways or other rooms. The room’s air is then exhausted outside or cleaned through filtration (often with HEPA) before release. This setup protects others in the facility from airborne transmission. The other options imply the room either pushes air outward, has no effect on containment, or is inappropriate for isolation, which is not how negative pressure rooms function.

Negative pressure rooms are designed to keep airborne contaminants from moving into surrounding areas. By maintaining lower pressure inside the room than in adjacent spaces, air naturally flows into the room when doors are opened, not out. This containment keeps pathogens from dispersing into hallways or other rooms. The room’s air is then exhausted outside or cleaned through filtration (often with HEPA) before release. This setup protects others in the facility from airborne transmission. The other options imply the room either pushes air outward, has no effect on containment, or is inappropriate for isolation, which is not how negative pressure rooms function.