Vacuum piping for ____________ shall be connected separately from the medical surgical system directly to the receiver tank through its own isolation valve and fluid trap located at the receiver.

• A. Each WAGD system
• B. The standing vacuum test
• C. A teaching laboratory
• D. A location requiring seismic restraint

Answer: (C)

The key idea is preventing cross-contamination and backflow by giving non-clinical vacuum lines their own isolated path to the receiver. In a teaching laboratory, vacuum use isn’t tied to patient care and can involve liquids or materials that shouldn’t enter the hospital’s medical vacuum system. By routing the teaching lab’s vacuum piping directly to the receiver tank through its own isolation valve and fluid trap located at the receiver, any liquids or debris drawn in by the suction are captured and cannot travel back into the medical-surgical system. This keeps the patient-care vacuum network clean and safe, simplifies maintenance, and complies with safety practices that require separate, trap-equipped connections for non-clinical uses.