What is an important characteristic of airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIR)?

An important characteristic of airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIR) is that the door to the AIIR should remain closed. This is crucial because maintaining a closed door helps to contain airborne pathogens within the room, preventing their spread to other areas of the healthcare facility. AIIRs are designed with specialized ventilation systems that filter and exhaust air away from the general environment, thereby reducing the risk of airborne transmission of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis or COVID-19. The integrity of the air containment relies significantly on keeping the door closed.

Other factors, such as using AIIRs for multiple patients at once, not requiring specialized ventilation, and keeping windows open for airflow, would compromise the isolation effectiveness and increase the risk of infection transmission, making these options unsuitable.