Droplet precautions are infection control measures designed to prevent the spread of certain infectious diseases. They protect patients and healthcare providers from pathogens transmitted through respiratory droplets.
How Droplets Spread
Respiratory droplets are small liquid particles generated from the respiratory tract of an infected person, primarily when an individual coughs, sneezes, or talks. Some medical procedures, such as suctioning, can also generate these particles. These droplets are relatively large, generally ranging from 5 to over 100 micrometers in diameter. Due to their size, they quickly fall to surfaces or travel short distances, typically no more than 3 to 6 feet from the source. Transmission occurs when these droplets land on the mucous membranes of another person, such as the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Actions for Droplet Precautions
Implementing droplet precautions involves several specific measures. Healthcare personnel and visitors use masks. They should wear a surgical or procedure mask when entering the patient’s room or when in close contact, typically within 3 to 6 feet of the patient. These masks are designed to block the spread of large respiratory droplets.
Patient placement is another component. The preferred approach is to place the patient in a private room. If a private room is not available, patients with the same infection may be cohorted, meaning they are placed in the same room. Alternatively, a minimum distance of 3 to 6 feet should be maintained between the infected patient and other patients or visitors.
Hand hygiene is also important. Healthcare workers, patients, and visitors should wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the patient’s room, and after any contact with the patient or their environment. Limiting the patient’s movement outside their room is also important. If transport is medically necessary, the patient should wear a surgical mask if tolerated, and practice respiratory hygiene, such as covering coughs.
Conditions Requiring Droplet Precautions
Several common infectious diseases necessitate the implementation of droplet precautions due to their primary mode of transmission. These include seasonal influenza, which spreads through respiratory droplets generated by coughing and sneezing. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is another condition where these precautions are applied because the bacteria are transmitted via droplets.
Mumps, a viral infection, also spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Certain types of bacterial meningitis, such as those caused by Neisseria meningitidis or Haemophilus influenzae type b, also require droplet precautions. Adenovirus and rhinovirus, common causes of respiratory infections including the common cold, are also transmitted through droplets. COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, primarily spreads through respiratory droplets and smaller airborne particles, and droplet precautions are often part of the infection control strategy, particularly for close contact. These precautions help contain the spread of these pathogens by targeting the specific way they move from person to person.