What are the precautions for infectious disease prevention?

From the Guidelines

Infectious disease precautions should include standard precautions for all patients, plus transmission-based precautions when specific infections are suspected, with a focus on hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, and environmental cleaning, as recommended by the CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee 1.

Key Components of Infectious Disease Precautions

• Hand hygiene with alcohol-based sanitizer or soap and water before and after patient contact, as outlined in the guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings--2003 1
• Use of personal protective equipment, including gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns, when splashes are possible or when caring for patients with specific infections, such as MRSA or C. difficile 1
• Environmental cleaning, focusing on high-touch surfaces, using appropriate disinfectants, and following the guidelines for preventing health-care--associated pneumonia, 2003 1

Transmission-Based Precautions

• Contact precautions, including gloves and gowns, for patients with MRSA or C. difficile 1
• Droplet precautions, including surgical masks within 3-6 feet, for patients with influenza or pertussis 1
• Airborne precautions, including N95 respirators or PAPRs, for patients with tuberculosis, measles, or chickenpox 1

Additional Measures

• Proper sharps disposal in puncture-resistant containers to prevent needlestick injuries 1
• Limiting the movement or transport of patients with suspected or confirmed infections to essential purposes only 1
• Cleaning and disinfecting housekeeping surfaces, including floors, walls, and sinks, on a routine basis, depending on the nature of the surface and type and degree of contamination 1

From the Research

Infectious Disease Precautions

• The use of isolation precautions is crucial in preventing the spread of infection, as discussed in 2.
• Standard infection control precautions should be undertaken routinely with all patients, and additional measures should be adopted when a patient has a specific infection.
• The main elements of standard precautions for infection prevention and control, as set out by the World Health Organization, are outlined in 3.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• The use of PPE, such as masks and gloves, is essential in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases, as highlighted in 4 and 5.
• HCP adherence to transmission-based precautions, including the use of PPE, is critical in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases.
• Epidemiologic evidence has demonstrated that implementation and adherence to infection prevention strategies, including the use of PPE, reduces transmission in acute care settings.

Infection Prevention Strategies

• Infection prevention strategies, such as the use of single room accommodation for patients with infections, can help reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, as discussed in 2.
• The implementation of transmission-based precautions, including the use of PPE, has been shown to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, as highlighted in 4 and 5.
• Education and awareness of infection prevention and control practices are essential in reducing the risk of infection transmission, as outlined in 3.

Specific Infectious Diseases

• The prevention and control of specific infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and tuberculosis, require tailored approaches, as discussed in 4, 5, and 6.
• The use of high-dose rifampicin in the management of tuberculosis meningitis has been shown to be safe and effective, but its efficacy in reducing mortality is still uncertain, as highlighted in 6.