Overview

If your doctor wants you to be kept away, or isolated, from other patients while you receive medical care, you may be in a special hospital room. This is called an isolation room.

You may be isolated because you have an infection (often in the skin, lungs or airways, or intestines) that can be spread to others. Or your condition makes you more easily infected by others.

How does a hospital isolation room work?

Negative air pressure

Sometimes isolation rooms use negative air pressure. This helps prevent airborne diseases (such as tuberculosis or flu) from escaping the room and infecting other people. A machine pulls air into the room. Then it filters the air before moving it outside.

In a negative air pressure room, you may be able to feel air being sucked into the room under a closed door or through a slightly opened window.

Positive air pressure

In other cases, such as when a person has a weakened immune system, positive air pressure may be used. Clean, filtered air is constantly pumped into the room. This is done to keep contagious diseases out of the room.

With this type of isolation room, you may be able to feel air blowing out of the room under a closed door.

What can you expect while in isolation?

When you are in isolation:

• Everyone who enters or leaves the room needs to wash their hands thoroughly.
• You may be allowed to have visitors. But all visitors and hospital workers must wear masks, gowns, and gloves. In some cases, only certain family members may be allowed to visit. Children may not be allowed. People who have colds, the flu, or other illnesses won't be allowed.
• The door to your room may need to stay closed at all times.
• You may need to stay in your room, except for tests or procedures that can't be done in your room.