Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

What type of room in an animal facility would be kept under positive pressure?

1. Animal holding room

2. Surgical suite

3. Quarantine area

4. Storage room

The correct answer is: Surgical suite

In an animal facility, a surgical suite is designed to maintain a specific environment conducive to sterile procedures. Keeping this area under positive pressure is crucial to preventing contamination from outside sources. Positive pressure means the air inside the room is maintained at a higher pressure than the surrounding areas. This pressure difference helps to ensure that any air that might enter the surgical suite is filtered and thus has a lower likelihood of carrying pathogens or contaminants into a sterile environment. This is particularly important during surgical procedures, where the risk of infection must be minimized. The use of positive pressure, combined with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, plays a vital role in maintaining the required sterility and safety for both the animals undergoing surgery and the personnel performing the procedures. Other areas in the facility, such as animal holding rooms and quarantine areas, may use negative pressure to protect the rest of the facility from potential contaminants, while storage rooms do not typically require strict controls over air pressure.