The five-room biocontainment patient care unit at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. is the largest inthe U.S., and in many ways provides the best case study in facilities of this type, according to an article on the Medical Construction & Design website.
The Nebraska BPCU is designed to account for every particle of aspirated air; every scrap of clothing, waste and linen; and every inch of surface that could harbor infection, the article said.
Design considerations of this unit include:
• isolated air handling
• negative pressure patient rooms
• unidirectional throughput
• secure entrance/exit
• waste handling
• cleanability
• flexibility
Flexibility is a key factor. The unit functions as a normal inpatient ward when not needed for biocontainment.
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