Effectiveness Analysis of Reducing Air Leakage in Hospital Isolation Room by Directional Airflow during the Door Opening Process
Patients with highly contagious diseases are typically placed in negative-pressure isolation rooms within hospitals to restrict the spread of these diseases within the healthcare facility.However,opening the door can potentially lead to a significant exchange of air carrying pathogens through the doorway into the corridor when the doctor enter or exit the room,putting individuals in the corridor at risk of infection.To mitigate and prevent indoor air leakage caused by door openings,it is necessary to minimize the air exchange between the interior and exterior when the door is opened.To address this issue,we have installed directional airflow supply outlets at the entrance of the isolation room,redirecting airflow toward the isolation room's doorway to reduce the indoor-to-outdoor air exchange resulting from the door opening process,personnel movement through the doorway,and indoor-outdoor temperature differences.Visualizations using smoke for airflow patterns have revealed that using directional airflow directed towards the isolation room during door opening or closing processes can significantly reduce the indoor-to-outdoor airflow exchange.Tracer gas test results show that with 90 L/s of directional airflow under isothermal conditions,the air leakage from the isolation room can be reduced by 38%,while with a 3℃ indoor-outdoor temperature difference,the use of directional airflow can reduce leakage by 31%.When the directional airflow rate is adjusted to 190 L/s,the indoor-to-outdoor airflow can be reduced by 60%under isothermal conditions.With a 3℃ temperature difference between the interior and exterior,airflow exchange can be reduced by 39%.Although the tested directional airflows may not completely eliminate air leakage,they are effective in reducing the indoor-to-outdoor airflow exchange resulting from door openings,personnel passage,and temperature differences.
Negative-pressure isolation roomsDoor opening processIndoor-to-outdoor air exchange rateDirectional airflow