Transmission-based precautions and isolation

Contact and droplet

Transmission-based precautions are added on top of standard precautions when a patient has, or may have, an infection that spreads in a known way. The door sign tells you which ones apply. Contact precautions are for organisms spread by touching the patient or their surroundings, such as MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and scabies; wear a gown and gloves, and clean equipment after use. For C. diff, wash your hands with soap and water, because alcohol hand rub does not kill its spores, and clean surfaces with a bleach-based (sporicidal) product. Droplet precautions are for large respiratory droplets that travel only a few feet when the patient coughs, sneezes or talks, such as influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), mumps and bacterial meningitis; wear a surgical mask when you enter the room, since droplets usually travel up to about 6 feet.