The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of issues to the forefront regarding the spread and prevention of infectious diseases. For hospitals in particular, one of the biggest issues is the need to have adequate respiratory isolation rooms.
Also known as airborne infection isolation rooms, this type of room is vital for infection control. These negative pressure rooms allow patients to be treated for highly infectious airborne diseases without spreading them to other patients and healthcare workers. In order to provide the highest quality of patient care, these facilities rely heavily upon properly functioning HVAC/mechanical systems.
At HI -EFFICIENCY SYSTEMS, we are a NEBB (The National Balancing Bureau) certified company that specializes in the testing and certification of hospitals, surgery centers and all other types of medical facilities. We have tested and certified thousands of medical and lab grade negative pressure rooms. We have the best technicians with the most up to date instruments that allow us to provide the most accurate results every time.
Why Proper Air Flow Matters
Negative pressure rooms are most often used for isolation. These rooms are essential for controlling pathogens and making sure that they stay contained to one patients’ room rather than spreading and affecting others nearby.
The negative pressure is caused and sustained by ventilating more air out of the room than is allowed into the room. This type of ventilation system causes a sort of “low pressure vacuum” that doesn’t allow any contaminants/pathogens to leave the room.
Negative pressure rooms are absolutely crucial for controlling the spread of infectious disease in a hospital or care facility. However, despite this requirement being so significant to health and safety, it has been documented that only 2% to 4% of hospital rooms are equipped for negative pressure.
In a government funded study done in Missouri, for example, results showed that of the negative pressure rooms tested, almost 50% of rooms thought to be negative pressure were actually positively pressured, with the potential for contaminated air escaping the room. This means that instead of having the desired negative air flow, many rooms actually had positive air flow to the corridor beyond the room — creating a dangerous situation.
This type of blunder is a potentially deadly mistake that must be avoided. If a negative pressure isolation room is actually positively pressured, it could easily spread disease. This is not just an issue for the highly contagious coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but for other pathogens as well.
NEBB Certified Professional Inspection Services
Make sure your negative pressure rooms are working correctly by hiring a NEBB certified, qualified professional to ensure that your health care facility’s isolation rooms have the correct negative air pressure.
Our professionals and technicians at HI-EFFICIENCY SYSTEMS come with the highest qualifications. We follow all NEBB procedural standards and keep up to date with certification requirements.
Beyond our NEBB certification, we are also experts on all aspects of HVAC systems testing and are dedicated to helping create a cleaner, more sanitary environment for the companies we serve. We can attend to all your facility’s needs concerning negative and positive pressure rooms.