Follow-up evaluation of respiratory isolation rooms in 10 midwestern hospitals.

As a follow-up to a 1992 study or respiratory isolation, we studied compliance with recommendations for respiratory isolation through smokestick testing (1993) and surveys (1994). Effective negative pressure was demonstrated in 80 of 156 rooms and was associated with the presence of anterooms (P < .001). The proportion of surveyed hospitals periodically testing isolation rooms increased from 0% (1992) to 30% (1993) to 100% (1994; P < .001).