How can contact with infectious diseases be prevented?

Preventing Contact with Infectious Diseases

The most effective way to prevent contact with infectious diseases is through strict adherence to hand hygiene practices, using either alcohol-based hand rubs or washing with soap and water before and after each patient contact, combined with appropriate use of standard precautions including personal protective equipment when indicated. 1

Hand Hygiene: The Foundation of Prevention

Hand hygiene is the single most important method of preventing transmission of infectious agents:

• For routine situations: Use alcohol-based hand rubs when hands are not visibly soiled
• When hands are visibly dirty: Wash with soap and water
• For specific pathogens: Use soap and water for C. difficile, norovirus, or spore-forming pathogens 1
• Timing: Perform hand hygiene before and after each patient contact, between dirty and clean procedures on the same patient, after removing gloves, and before and after handling respiratory devices 1

Standard Precautions

Standard precautions should be used with every patient encounter, regardless of diagnosis or presumed infection status 1:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Gloves: Wear when handling body fluids or contaminated items; change between patients and between contaminated and clean procedures 1
• Gowns: Use when soiling with secretions is anticipated; change after soiling and before caring for another patient 1
• Masks/Eye Protection: Use when splashes or sprays of body fluids are possible

Environmental Controls

• Surface cleaning: Regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces
• Equipment handling: Clean and disinfect equipment between patient use
• Proper waste disposal: Follow protocols for contaminated materials

Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette

Implement respiratory hygiene measures in waiting rooms and other common areas 1:

• Cover mouth/nose when coughing or sneezing
• Use tissues and dispose properly
• Perform hand hygiene after contact with respiratory secretions
• Offer masks to symptomatic patients
• Separate potentially infectious patients from others when possible

Specific Transmission-Based Precautions

In addition to standard precautions, implement transmission-based precautions based on suspected pathogens:

Contact Precautions

• For patients with known multidrug-resistant bacteria or draining wounds 1
• Use dedicated equipment or clean/disinfect between patients
• Limit patient transport

Droplet Precautions

• For pathogens transmitted via respiratory droplets (influenza, pertussis)
• Use surgical masks when within 3-6 feet of patient
• Place patients in private rooms or cohort with similar infections

Airborne Precautions

• For airborne pathogens (measles, tuberculosis, chickenpox)
• Use N95 respirators or higher
• Place patients in negative pressure rooms

Community and Home Settings

• Food safety: Practice proper food handling and preparation 1
• Water safety: Avoid recreational water activities when ill with diarrhea 1
• Hand hygiene education: Direct educational efforts particularly toward immunocompromised people, pregnant women, parents of young children, and the elderly 1
• Avoid sharing personal items: Particularly with those who have active infections
• Environmental cleaning: Regularly clean high-touch surfaces in the home

Healthcare Provider Responsibilities

• Develop and enforce written infection prevention policies 1
• Implement educational programs for staff regarding infection prevention 1
• Ensure healthcare personnel receive appropriate immunizations 1
• Promptly triage patients with potentially contagious diseases 1
• Report notifiable diseases to public health authorities 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Inadequate hand hygiene: The most common cause of infection transmission
• Improper glove use: Failing to change gloves between patients or procedures
• Neglecting environmental cleaning: Fomites can harbor pathogens for extended periods
• Overreliance on alcohol-based sanitizers: Not effective against certain pathogens like C. difficile
• Inadequate patient education: Patients need clear instructions on infection prevention
• Failure to recognize potentially infectious patients: Delays in implementing appropriate precautions

By systematically implementing these evidence-based infection prevention strategies, the risk of contact with infectious diseases can be significantly reduced in both healthcare and community settings.