AnteRooms & HVAC

The most basic definition of an anteroom refers to a small room that is entered before a larger room. For example, the mudroom in a house or the waiting room in a doctor’s office could be considered “anterooms” as they’re spaces entered before the main, larger space. ICRA Class V specifications requires AnteRooms, where contractors or maintenance workers must construct an anteroom that allows for adequate isolation of the work environment and negative airflow.

 Specifically in hospital practices, an AnteRoom is defined as a small room between areas of contamination and treatment areas. Contamination could be dust and debris from construction or maintenance or airborne pathogens from a dangerous illness.

 AnteRooms are a sealed space with air filtration to remove harmful particles or pathogens from the air. They also give workers and providers a space to safely remove contaminated items before returning to non-contaminated spaces. Separating contaminated and non-contaminated areas in a hospital is essential to prevent the spread of disease and HAIs.

Why AnteRooms are Important in Hospitals

AnteRooms protect patients from harmful debris and airborne pathogens. They’re most often used during construction and maintenance projects and for patient isolation and infection control.

 When it comes to construction and maintenance, AnteRooms can prevent the hospital from needing to close down entire wings of the building and having to move patients around. While not every hospital has a major construction project going on at all times, ongoing maintenance creates a need for effective debris control to keep patients safe. AnteRooms also block out noise from work projects and odor pollution from paint, cleaners, and adhesives.

AnteRooms are necessary when hospitals have limited isolation rooms or an emergency isolation situation to protect patients from serious hospital acquired illnesses (HAIs). In these situations, the ability to quickly install an AnteRoom is vital to patient safety.

Construction Projects

 Healthcare construction that takes place in existing buildings represents a unique challenge to facility personnel and contracted construction professionals. In many cases, patients continue being treated in the facility while construction takes place, putting them at higher risk for healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).

The use of hospital anterooms can play an important role in reducing the risk of HAIs during construction projects. An anteroom provides a layer of protection between construction sites and patients areas, keeping construction debris and dust contained.

Routine Maintenance

However, regular maintenance of facilities and equipment is an issue at 100% of hospitals, around the world. Like construction, maintenance can be a source of dust, debris, and pathogens that put patients at risk.

A healthcare anteroom can be useful in cases of routine hospital maintenance that is limited to a single room, corridor, or area. By using an anteroom, workers can move between the maintenance area and patient areas without fear of contamination. While ceiling access carts are useful for smaller ceiling access maintenance projects, some maintenance requires larger crews and therefore larger isolated areas, making a perfect scenario for a healthcare anteroom.

Patient Isolation

While construction and maintenance are certainly critical to patient care, proper isolation is more directly related to the patient experience and limited HAIs. Using an isolation anteroom is a highly effective way to maintain patient and staff safety in the face of infectious diseases. When a hospital anteroom set up is performed correctly, the anteroom can operate as a Class IV infection control area (as indicated by the Infection Control Risk Assessment Matrix). Further, when used with a negative air machine, an anteroom meets requirements for both the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for emergency patient isolation, as required in cases of bioterrorism or highly infectious diseases such as smallpox. In fact, for emergency situations, the portable, reusable anteroom is ideal because it can transform areas not usually used for isolation into appropriate patient areas.

 Anterooms and useful, convenient, and cost-effective. Choosing an anteroom for your healthcare facility can have a measurable impact on patient experience and facility compliance.

Different Types of AnteRooms

There are two main kinds of hospital AnteRooms: drywall vestibules (fixed AnteRoom) and portable AnteRooms

Drywall Vestibule (Fixed AnteRoom)

This type of AnteRoom is constructed before the beginning of a project and is generally made from raw materials (drywall, lumber) or plastic sheeting that cannot be reused when the project is over.

 Portable AnteRoom

As the name implies, portable AnteRooms are reusable and can be moved from place to place. A portable AnteRoom has several benefits, the first of which is their environmental sustainability. Unlike raw materials, portable AnteRooms can be used again and again, which also makes them a more cost-effective option long term. In addition, alternative materials like plastic sheeting have a negative impact on the environment, while a portable AnteRoom doesn’t create so much waste.

 AnteRooms in particular provide additional advantages because they are reusable — which is good for both the environment and your budget — and extremely effective at reducing the spread of HAIs and preventable disease in hospital and healthcare facility settings.