Abstract

This study investigates the connection between airtightness performance and differential pressure when converting general hospital wards into temporary negative pressure isolation rooms using portable HEPA filter units. The CONTAM simulation model was used to analyze a specific medical facility, conducting sensitivity and uncertainty analyses to identify key factors in the building’s envelope components and estimate pressure differentials after improvements. The findings show that exterior walls, plenum inner walls, room ceilings, and ward doors are crucial in establishing the initial differential pressure. By reducing leakage areas in these components, the required volume flow rate of the portable HEPA filter units can be decreased by approximately 30% to maintain the necessary pressure standards of -2.5 Pa. This study offers vital data for the design and operation of temporary negative pressure isolation facilities, emphasizing the need for further comprehensive evaluations.