Associate – Infection Prevention And Control (a-IPC) Practice Exam

Airflow direction driven by pressure differential is what defines a negative‑pressure isolation room. By keeping the room at lower pressure than surrounding areas, air tends to flow into the room when doors are opened, which prevents contaminated air from escaping to other spaces. The room must have this negative pressure relative to adjacent areas and a minimum rate of air changes per hour (typically at least six) to dilute and remove airborne contaminants effectively. The exhaust should remove air to the outside or pass it through appropriate filtration; simply recirculating air would risk spreading pathogens. In contrast, positive pressure would push air out into adjacent rooms, increasing the chance of spreading infection, and relying on filtration alone without negative SAMPLEpressure does not ensure containment.