An efficient ventilation configuration of an airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) is essential for protecting Health care workers (HCW) from exposure to potentially-infectious patient aerosol. This paper presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study to predict airflow distribution patterns throughout the AIIR and the bioaerosol dispersal originiating from an infectious patient for a range of AIIR ventilation configuration design considerations.

In the present study with ventilation configuration 1, the AIIR has two supply vents and 1 exhaust grille corresponding to that of a traditional ceiling mounted ventilation arrangement observed in existing hospitals.

Alternate ventilation configuration 2 retains the linear supply diffuser in ventilation configuration 1 but interchanges the Square supply and Main Exhaust locations.

The direct-control exhaust configuration evaluated in this study has the ceiling exhaust replaced with vented patient headboard mantle and canopy arrangement, while the supply diffusers locations remains the same as configuration 2.

Furthermore, the effects of shifting the HCW's location on the room air distribution and the bioaerosol dispersal behavior is studied to ensure whether the Direct-Control exhaust configuration is efficient in protecting the HCW from patient's contaminated air as the HCW standing near the patient's bed shifts positions while carrying out cough generating procedures.

The results show that the Direct-control exhaust configuration is the most efficient in preventing the patient's contaminated air from entering the HCW's region. Further evaluation of this configuration is recommended for potential adoption within new and existing AIIRs to reduce the potential impact of infectious epidemics on severe workforce absenteeism and our nation's significant financial losses.