American College Of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) Certification Practice Exam

Airborne, droplet, and contact isolation are designed around how infections spread and how the environment can be controlled to prevent transmission. Airborne isolation uses a negatively pressurized room (an AIIR) with dedicated airflow so air moves into the room and is exhausted or passes through appropriate filtration; this setup typically requires more air changes per hour and ensures contaminated air doesn’t circulate to other areas. Healthcare workers wear respirators (N95 or higher) or PAPRs, and the patient should wear a mask if transported outside the room. The door is usually kept closed to maintain the negative pressure. Droplet isolation does not require negative pressure. It aims to block larger droplets that travel only short distances, so the room is generally a standard private room and the airflow does not have to be negatively pressurized. PPE centers on protective barriers such as a surgical mask for staff, with gloves and gowns as needed for contact with potentially contaminated secretions or surfaces; patient transport typically involves masking. Contact isolation focuses on preventing transmission via direct touch and contaminated surfaces, so a private room or cohort grouping is used, with gloves and gowns required for all patient care and dedicated equipment to avoid cross-contamination. Environmental cleaning and hand hygiene are emphasized to reduce surface-mediated spread. Thus the correct choice reflects that these isolation types require different room types and PPE, with airflow considerations for airborne cases, rather than identical rooms or PPE across all types.