Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 51 - PUBLIC HEALTH-SANITARY CODE › Part XIX - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Renal Dialysis Centers › Chapter 1 - General Requirements › Section XIX-103 - Construction Requirements [formerly paragraph 19:002]

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Plans. No new hospital, ambulatory
				surgical center, or renal dialysis center shall hereafter be constructed, nor
				shall major alterations be made to existing hospitals, without the prior
				written approval of, and unless in accordance with plans and specifications
				approved in advance by, the state health officer. The review and approval of
				plans and specifications shall be made in accordance with the publication
				entitled: "Minimum Requirements of Construction and Equipment for Hospitals and
				Medical Facilities" [DHEW Publication No. (HRA) 79-14500], published by the
				U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service,
				Health Resources Administration, Bureau of Health Facilities Financing,
				Compliance and Conversion.
B.
				[Formerly paragraph 19:005] Doors, Stairways, and Elevators. The building shall
				be provided with ramps, doors, corridors, and elevators to accommodate the
				handicapped. Stairways, ramps and elevators shall be provided with nonskid
				floors and surfaces, and shall have handrails on both sides located
				approximately 31 inches (78.7 cm) above the stair-tread on edge of riser and
				continue the length of stairway or ramp. All doors to the outside shall open
				outward and be provided with self-closing devices and be equipped with panic
				type hardware, unless automatic sliding doors are provided.
C. Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Heating
1. [Formerly paragraph 19:006] All patient
				rooms shall be well ventilated and under positive pressure except for negative
				pressure rooms designated as such. Temperature, humidity, pressure and air
				exchange characteristics shall conform to the requirements in "Minimum
				Requirements on Construction and Equipment for Hospitals and Medical
				Facilities" [DHEW Publication No. (HRA) 79-14500] as they apply to specific
				areas of the building. The heating and cooling system shall be such type and
				maintained and operated in such a manner to provide a comfortable temperature
				for patients and personnel. The heating and cooling system shall also be
				constructed to conform to the requirements in "Minimum Requirements on
				Construction and Equipment for Hospitals and Medical Facilities" (DHEW
				Publication No. (HRA) 79-14500).
2.
a. [formerly paragraph 19:006-1] Persons with
				tuberculosis in a communicable state or suspected of having tuberculosis in a
				communicable state shall be cared for in isolation rooms with negative air
				pressure and either:
i. at least six changes
				of room air per hour accomplished by exhaust ventilation; or
ii. equivalent circulation and treatment by
				ultraviolet light treatment, "air scrubber," or equivalent.
b. If the patient is not in a room
				with proper ventilation and is unable or unwilling to cover their cough, then
				exposed persons shall wear proper masks, which filter all particles larger than
				1 micron, in order to prevent the spread of infectious respiratory
				droplets.
3. [formerly
				paragraph 19:006-2] Rooms used for aerosolized pentamidine treatments or for
				aerosol treatments designed to induce sputum shall have negative air pressure
				and at least six changes of room air per hour, accomplished by exhaust
				ventilation.