Health Care Facilities 9.

9 Thorough sealing of all wall, ceiling, and floor penetrations are essential to
maintaining pressure differential. • Humidity and temperature indicators should be located for easy
observation. Occupant control of temperature may result in an unintended change in relative humidity.
• Filter efficiencies should be in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 170 and the user’s requirements.
Supply air HEPA filtration has been applied for some orthopedic surgical suites where long
procedures with large open wound sites and significant generation of aerosols caused by use of
surgical tools may occur. HEPA filtration has also been applied for high-air-change-rate recirculation
systems where required by the surgical team. • Air should be supplied at the ceiling with
exhaust/return from at least two locations near the floor spaced approximately half of the room apart.
Endoscopic, laparoscopic, or thoracoscopic surgery procedures aided by camera, and robotic or robot-
assisted surgery procedures, require heat-producing equipment in the operating room. Exhaust/return
openings located above this equipment can capture the more buoyant heated air and prevent it from
being reentrained in the ceiling supply airstream. The bottom of low openings should be at least 3 in.
above the floor. Supply diffusers should be unidirectional (laminar-flow), located over the patient and
the surgical team. High-induction ceiling or sidewall diffusers should be avoided. • Total air exchange
rates should