Back in the old days, people tried to escape the plague by sequestering themselves. Not an easy task then or now. Dealing with infectious diseases still comes down to containing the spread, and thankfully modern hospitals now have isolation down to a science. Nowadays, it means having a room or unit in which the infected air is re-routed, away from other patients and hospital staff. This is where the negative pressure room comes in to help with infection control. Lower air pressure allows outside air into the room. Any air that flows out of the room passes through a filter. Negative pressure rooms help to stop the spread of infectious germs via the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
A southern Nevada hospital recently found themselves in critical need to repurpose part of their facility to accommodate COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. LMS Building Systems immediately assisted in the design and development of a plan to convert two Air Handler Units (AHU) that would facilitate the creation of negative pressure rooms.
These AHUs for the expansion were already underway when the COVID pandemic hit. They decided to add the ability to put the area into a “negative pressure” mode in concert with the Trane controls which would allow the Trane units to provide negative pressure in this area.
A negative pressure room is one of the most critical factors to minimizing cross-contamination. In a hospital, it is used to contain airborne contaminants within the room. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, yeasts, molds, pollens, gases, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), small particles and chemicals are part of a larger list of airborne pathogens that can be found in a hospital. Typical rooms that are negatively pressurized include, emergency and radiology waiting rooms, laboratory work areas, triage, bathrooms, and isolations rooms.
The need for properly-functioning negative and positive pressurized rooms in the hospital is well-documented. Whether a hospital is looking to convert/repurpose hospital spaces, or build new rooms to serve infectious patients, LMS Building Systems can customize a plan to provide a healthy environment for patients, staff, and visitors.