Air Movement Table 3 illustrates the degree to which contamination can be dispersed into the air by

routine patient care activities. The bacterial counts in the hallway clearly indicate the spread of this
contamination. Because of the bacteria dispersal from such necessary activities, air-handling sys
minimize spread of contamination. Undesirable airflow between rooms and floors is often difficult to
control because of open doors, movement of staff and patients, temperature differentials, and stack
effect, which is accentuated by vertical openings such as chutes, elevator shafts, stairwells, and
mechanical shafts. Although some of these factors are beyond practical control, the effect of others
may be minimized by terminating shaft openings in enclosed rooms and by designing and balancing
air systems to create positive or negative air pressure in certain rooms and areas. Pressure differential
causes air to flow in or out of a room through various leakage areas (e.g., perimeter of doors and
windows, utility/ fixture penetrations, cracks). A level of differential air pressure (0.01 in. of water)
can be efficiently maintained only in a tightly sealed room. Therefore, it is important to obtain a
reasonably