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Virginia Department of Health > HAIAR > Infection Prevention > Transmission-Based Precautions
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There are three types of transmission-based precautions: contact precautions (for diseases spread by direct or indirect contact), droplet precautions (for diseases spread by large particles in the air), and airborne precautions (for diseases spread by small particles in the air). Each type of precautions has some unique prevention steps that should be taken, butallhave standard precautions as their foundation.
Contact Precautions
- Used for patients/residents that have an infection that can be spread by contact with the person’s skin, mucous membranes, feces, vomit, urine, wound drainage, or other body fluids, or by contact with equipment or environmental surfaces that may be contaminated by the patient/resident or by his/her secretions and excretions.
- Examples of infections/conditions that require contact precautions:Salmonella, scabies,Shigella, and pressure ulcers.
- In addition to standard precautions:
- Wear agownandglovesupon room entry of a patient/resident on contact precautions.
- Use disposable single-use or patient/resident-dedicated noncritical care equipment (such as blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes).
- For certain organisms likely to have spores (likeClostridium difficile) and some disease with ongoing transmission (likeNorovirus), “special” contact precautions are needed. In addition to the measures above, perform hand hygiene usingsoap and waterand consider use of a hypochlorite solution (e.g., bleach) for environmental cleaning.
Droplet Precautions
- Used for patients/residents that have an infection that can be spread through close respiratory or mucous membrane contact with respiratory secretions.
- Examples of infections/conditions that require droplet precautions: influenza,N. meningitidis(one of the causes of meningitis), pertussis (also known as “whooping cough”), and rhinovirus (also known as the “common cold”).
- In addition to standard precautions:
- Wear amaskupon room entry of a patient/resident on droplet precautions.
- A single patient/resident room is preferred. If not available, spatial separation of more than 3 feet and drawing the curtain between beds is especially important.
- Patients/residents on droplet precautions who must be transported outside of the room should wear a mask if tolerated and follow respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette.
Airborne Precautions
- Used for patients/residents that have an infection that can be spread over long distances when suspended in the air. These disease particles are very small and require special respiratory protection and room ventilation.
- Examples of infections/conditions that require airborne precautions: chickenpox, measles, and tuberculosis.
- In addition to standard precautions:
- Wear amask or respiratorprior to room entry, depending on thedisease-specific recommendations. Most diseases will require N95 or higher respiratory protection.
- Place patient/resident in an airborne infection isolation (AII) room – a single-person room that is equipped with special air handing and ventilation capacity.
- If the facility does not have an AII room, place the person in a private room with the door closed until the person is transferred to another facility with an AII room.
- When possible, non-immune healthcare workers should not care for patients/residents with vaccine preventable airborne diseases (like measles and chickenpox).
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FAQs
Which is a transmission-based precaution? ›
Transmission-Based Precautions are the second tier of basic infection control and are to be used in addition to Standard Precautions for patients who may be infected or colonized with certain infectious agents for which additional precautions are needed to prevent infection transmission.
What does the Hicpac transmission-based precaution include? ›Prepared by the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). Melded major features of Universal Precautions and Body Substance Isolation into standard precautions to be used with all patients at all times. Included three transmission-based precaution categories: airborne, droplet, and contact .
What is a transmission-based precaution quizlet? ›A protective procedure that limits the spread of infectious diseases amount hospitalized patients, hospital personnel, and visitors has been used.
What are the types of additional or transmission-based precautions? ›There are three types of transmission-based precautions: contact, droplet and airborne precautions. One or more types of transmission-based precautions may be required, depending on how an infection is spread between people.
What are the 5 modes of transmission? ›- Direct. Direct contact. Droplet spread.
- Indirect. Airborne. Vehicleborne. Vectorborne (mechanical or biologic)
There are three categories of Transmission-Based Precautions: Contact Precautions, Droplet Precautions, and Airborne Precautions.
What is CDC and Hicpac? ›HICPAC is a federal advisory committee appointed to provide advice and guidance to DHHS and CDC regarding the practice of infection control and strategies for surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance and related events in United States healthcare settings.
What are the three elements that must be present for transmission of infection within a health care setting? ›Transmission of infectious agents within a healthcare setting requires three elements: a source (or reservoir) of infectious agents, a susceptible host with a portal of entry receptive to the agent, and a mode of transmission for the agent.
What type of transmission-based precautions should be implemented for a person with an active infection of TB? ›Hospital-based precautions
Patients with confirmed infectious TB or those being evaluated for active TB disease should be kept in airborne isolation precautions until active TB disease is ruled out or the patient is deemed to be noninfectious.
Use Contact Precautions when caring for patients with MRSA (colonized, or carrying, and infected). Contact Precautions mean: Whenever possible, patients with MRSA will have a single room or will share a room only with someone else who also has MRSA.
Are transmission-based precautions used in the care of all patients and residents? ›
What are Transmission-based Precautions? All hospitals and skilled nursing facilities must be capable of implementing Transmission-based precautions when needed to safely care for patients/residents.
What PPE is needed for transmission-based precautions? ›➢ Use PPE including gloves, gowns & eye protection and practice hand hygiene. ➢ Face mask – Wear a fit-tested N95 or higher respirator mask. ➢ Remove all PPE before leaving the room except for the respirator mask. Hand Hygiene ❖ Practice good hand hygiene.
What are three 3 common types of additional precautions to prevent modes of transmission that may be used in healthcare settings? ›There are three categories of additional precautions: contact precautions, droplet precautions, and airborne precautions. Contact precautions are are the most common type of additional precautions.
What are 3 airborne precautions? ›- Provide negative pressure room with a minimum of 6 air exchanges per hour.
- Exhaust directly to the outside or through HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration.
There are two types of contact transmission: direct and indirect. Direct contact transmission occurs when there is physical contact between an infected person and a susceptible person. Indirect contact transmission occurs when there is no direct human-to-human contact.
What is the difference between routine precautions and additional or transmission based precautions? ›Routine practices refer to minimum practices that should be used with all clients, patients or residents. Additional precautions refer to specific actions that should be taken with individuals that are at risk of transmitting or acquiring disease.
What is the difference between standard and transmission based precautions quizlet? ›What is the difference between standard precautions and transmission-based isolation techniques? Standard precautions are used on all patients. Transmission-based isolation techniques are used to provide extra protection against specific diseases or pathogens to prevent their spread.
What are the 5 F's of disease transmission? ›Food (contaminated), Fingers (unclean), Faeces, Fomites, and Flies.
What are the basic types of transmission? ›- Manual transmissions.
- Automatic transmissions.
- CVT transmissions.
Pathogens may be transferred from the source to a host by direct or indirect contact transmission and by respiratory transmission.
What are the three universal precautions? ›
- Use barrier protection at all times.
- Use gloves for protection when working with or around blood and body fluids.
- Change glove between patients.
- Use glasses, goggles, masks, shields, and waterproof gowns/aprons to protect face from splashes.
- Wash hands if contaminated and after removing gloves.
wear disposable gloves to avoid contact with blood and feces. use disposable gloves when caring for an ill person. cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough and wash your hands afterward. teach children not to put their hands or objects in their mouths.
What are the four major types of healthcare-associated infection? ›- Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) ...
- Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) ...
- Surgical Site Infection (SSI) ...
- Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP)
The CDC works with state health departments and other organizations throughout the country and the world to help prevent and control disease. The CDC is part of the U.S. Public Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Also called Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What is the difference between EPA and CDC? ›Background Information. EPA and CDC manage a number of community-based programs. EPA has expertise in identifying and managing environmental exposures; CDC has expertise in developing health assessments, monitoring exposure, and health education.
What are 3 ways you could transmit a bacterial infection? ›Bacteria are transmitted to humans through air, water, food, or living vectors. The principal modes of transmission of bacterial infection are contact, airborne, droplet, vectors, and vehicular. Preventive measures have a dramatic impact on morbidity and mortality.
What are the six elements that must be present for infection transmission to occur? ›The six links include: the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. The way to stop germs from spreading is by interrupting this chain at any link.
What are three 3 factors that increase a person's susceptibility to infection? ›Multiple innate factors (e.g., age, nutritional status, genetics, immune competency, and pre-existing chronic diseases) and external variables (e.g., concurrent drug therapy) influence the overall susceptibility of a person exposed to a virus.
What is the most common way to prevent the transmission of infection? ›Washing hands properly is one of the most important and effective ways of stopping the spread of infections and illnesses. Wash your hands thoroughly using water and plain soap.
When should transmission-based precautions be required? ›Contents. Standard infection control precautions may be insufficient to prevent cross transmission of specific infectious agents and additional precautions called “transmission based precautions” (TBP) may be required when caring for patients with known / suspected infection or colonisation.
Which transmission-based precautions require the use of PPE within 3 feet of the patient? ›
Droplet precautions: Droplet precautions are necessary when a patient infected with a pathogen, such as influenza, is within three to six feet of the patient. Infections are transmittable through air droplets by coughing, sneezing, talking, and close contact with an infected patient's breathing.
What precautions should be taken during MRSA? ›Keep any wounds clean and change bandages as instructed until healed. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors. Wash and dry your clothes and bed linens in the warmest temperatures recommended on the labels. Tell your healthcare providers that you have MRSA.
What is true about transmission-based precautions? ›Transmission-Based Precautions are the second tier of basic infection control and are to be used in addition to Standard Precautions for patients who may be infected or colonized with certain infectious agents for which additional precautions are needed to prevent infection transmission.
What are transmission-based precautions and examples? ›If the person you are visiting is on transmission-based precautions (e.g., contact, droplet, or airborne isolation), talk to the nurse before entering the room to find out what steps you will have to take—such as, wearing a mask, a gown, and/or gloves.
What are standard transmission precautions? ›Standard Precautions include — Hand hygiene. Use of personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, masks, eyewear). Respiratory hygiene / cough etiquette. Sharps safety (engineering and work practice controls).
Which of the following is a type of transmission based precaution? ›There are three types of transmission-based precautions: contact, droplet and airborne precautions.
Which of the following is not a transmission based precaution? ›Answer & Explanation. Contact, air borne, and droplet precautions are transmission based precautions, there is no such thing as vector precaution in terms of transmission of diseases.
What are the two tiers of precautions to prevent the transmission? ›There are two tiers of precautions to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, Standard Precautions and Transmission-based Precautions.
What are the 3 types of transmission-based precautions? ›There are three types of transmission-based precautions--contact, droplet, and airborne - the type used depends on the mode of transmission of a specific disease.
What are examples of contact precautions? ›- Wear gloves when touching the patient and the patient's immediate environment or belongings.
- Remove gloves promptly after use and discard before touching non-contaminated items or environmental surfaces, and before providing care to another patient.
- Wash hands immediately after removing gloves.
What are the transmission-based precautions for MRSA? ›
Whenever possible, patients with MRSA will have a single room or will share a room only with someone else who also has MRSA. Healthcare providers will put on gloves and wear a gown over their clothing while taking care of patients with MRSA. Visitors might also be asked to wear a gown and gloves.
Which type of transmission-based precaution requires a negative pressure isolation room quizlet? ›Isolation rooms with airborne precautions must have negative air pressure.
What 3 things determine what type of transmission-based isolation is used? ›It depends on the causative organism of the disease, the way the organism is transmitted, and whether the pathogen is antibiotic resistant.
Is MRSA a contact or droplet? ›MRSA is usually spread through physical contact - not through the air. It is usually spread by direct contact (e.g., skin-to-skin) or contact with a contaminated object.
What precaution PPE is required for MRSA? ›Wear a mask and eye protection or a face shield to protect mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth during procedures and patient-care activities that are likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
Is MRSA airborne or direct? ›MRSA is usually spread by direct contact with an infected wound or from contaminated hands, usually those of healthcare providers. Also, people who carry MRSA but do not have signs of infection can spread the bacteria to others (i.e., people who are colonized).
Which one of these is not a transmission based precaution? ›Answer & Explanation. Contact, air borne, and droplet precautions are transmission based precautions, there is no such thing as vector precaution in terms of transmission of diseases.
What diseases require droplet precautions? ›Droplet Precautions—used for diseases or germs that are spread in tiny droplets caused by coughing and sneezing (examples: pneumonia, influenza, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis).
Which type of infection requires contact based precautions? ›Contact precautions are required to protect against either direct or indirect transmission. Contact precautions are indicated for persons with gastrointestinal (diarrheal) illness, and incontinent persons including those who use incontinent products.