Pulmonary Medicine Service Design Guide - Office of Construction ...

PULMONARY MEDICINE SERVICE NOVEMBER 29, 2011
The physical design of the suite must meet patient privacy and patient rights requirements as well as employee
safety and ergonomics standards as adopted by VA.
All procedure spaces shall be designed for visual and acoustical privacy for the patient. All measures shall be
taken to reduce risk of infection. The hospital’s Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) shall establish and
review infection control measures.
FA4: Sleep Study Patient Area
This area, often called a Sleep Lab, includes monitoring over unusually long test times. It should be located
in a quiet zone away from other clinic and hospital activity. Patients who require Sleep Lab testing generally
access the test area after normal clinic hours and go directly from Waiting to the Sleep Study Prep Room.
Sleep Study patients are prepped in the Prep Room with the application of electrodes before entering the
Sleep Study Room.
The Sleep Study Room is organized like a normal bedroom with a bed, side table, wardrobe and chair. A
private patient toilet is directly accessed from the room.
The suite of tests used in sleep studies is called polysomnography (PSG). It is a comprehensive recording
of the biophysiological changes that occur during sleep. While usually performed at night, when most
people sleep, some labs can accommodate people with circadian rhythm sleep disorders and do the
test at other times of day. The PSG monitors many body functions during sleep including brain, using
electroencephalography (EEG), eye movements, using electrooculography (EOG), muscle activity or skeletal
muscle activation, using electromyography (EMG), and heart rhythm, using echocardiography (ECG).
A polysomnogram will typically record a minimum of twelve channels requiring a minimum of 22 wire
attachments to the patient. These channels vary in every lab and may be adapted to meet the doctor’s
requests.
Wires for each channel of recorded data lead from the patient and converge into a central box, which in turn
is connected to a computer system for recording, storing and displaying the data. During sleep the computer
monitor can display multiple channels continuously. In addition, there is a small infra-red video camera in the
room so a technician can observe the patient on a monitor from the Sleep Study Monitoring Room.
The Sleep Study Monitoring Room accommodates the providers and technicians running the tests. The room
includes the polysomnography printer, the monitor for patient viewing and a computer. The room and its
equipment can be used to monitor up to four multiple Sleep Study Room tests simultaneously.
Other spaces include a Nourishment Room for patients and staff, a Clean Linen Storage Room, and a
Housekeeping Aides Closet.
FUNCTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
SECTION 3 - PAGE 23