Design Alert On HVAC Design Criteria for Isolation Rooms

DESIGN ALERT ON HVAC DESIGN CRITERIA

FOR ISOLATION ROOMS

ISSUE:

Isolation rooms with reverse isolation capability.

BACKGROUND:

The present VA HVAC Design Criteria for isolation rooms require exhaust system to be

capable of producing both, either a room negative pressure (normal isolation) or a room

positive pressure (reverse isolation) to be achieved through a selector switch mounted

in the Ante room. Reverse isolation capability is not required for all isolation rooms. This

must be verified with the medical center during design development to save cost.

To compare this what the private does, Kaiser Permanente, a private HMO, requires

their consultants: "Design to maintain isolation rooms at negative pressure unless

requested otherwise by owner. Verify during design development stage any isolation

room requiring positive pressure".

RECOMMENDATIONS/CONCLUSION:

1. Not providing reverse isolation capability for every isolation room will save cost.

2. Provide reverse isolation capability for only those isolation rooms selected by the

medical center. This will ensure what the medical center wants and will reduce cost,

and will also be comparable to what the private does.

3. The HVAC Professional Group fully concurs to this change and the VA HVAC Design

Criteria and Standard Details will be changed to reflect this. This change in criteria

should be implemented on future projects.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFOR MATION:

Contact Satish Sehgal at 202.565.5032 in the Standards Service (187C).

1 December 1994

FM-187C-DA26

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