droplet precautions are infection control measures that are taken to prevent the spread of diseases
that can be transmitted through the droplets of respiratory secretions this commonly occurs
when an infected patient coughs or sneezes we created this video to cover the medical definition
and provide a brief overview of the stop it so if you're ready let's get into it as previously
mentioned transmission based precautions are used in the hospital for patients
with a known or suspected infection that require control measures to prevent it from spreading the
three primary types include contact precautions droplet precautions and airborne infection
isolation each type is classified according to the route of transmission for the disease
however for this video we are primarily focusing on diseases that can be transmitted through the
droplets of respiratory secretions suspended in the air droplet precautions are used to protect
patients and medical professionals from the spread of infectious diseases such as the common cold
the flu pertussis and diphtheria this type of infection control requires healthcare personnel
and visitors to wear protective masks for each interaction with the patient or their
environment the mask covers the mouth and nose and is helpful in decreasing the spread of organisms
from infected patients who produce droplets by coughing or sneezing the implementation of droplet
precautions involves the following steps first if possible place the patient in a private room
next you should use special ventilation and air handling if it is available then you're going
to want to wash your hands before entering the patient's room also wear a surgical mask
before entering the room after caring for and treating the patients make sure to wash your
hands again before leaving the room as you are leaving you can remove the surgical mask
before leaving the patient's room limit patient transport outside of their room if possible
but if transport is required make sure to have the patient wear a surgical mask
because this prevents them from spreading the droplets to other patients or medical
professionals next you should use dedicated medical equipment for the patient if possible
but if you can't use dedicated equipment then make sure to properly clean and disinfect any equipment
that has been used by the infected patient and another important step is to educate the patient
and their family about droplet precautions as previously mentioned droplet precautions are
important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases between patients and healthcare workers
therefore all medical personnel must be trained on the proper use of personal protective equipment
aka ppe this includes when to put on and remove gloves gowns and masks before during or after
each patient interaction in addition all medical staff must know how to properly clean
and disinfect any equipment or surfaces that may have been contaminated by an isolated patient it
is important to remember that droplet precautions are not a substitute for good hand hygiene
researchers estimated that 4 of all hospitalized patients in the united states develop a health
care associated infection this refers to an infection that is acquired while receiving
treatment for another condition in the healthcare setting many cases can be prevented with proper
hand hygiene and infection control measures such as droplet precautions if you want to support the
channel be sure to like and subscribe i would greatly appreciate it and there should be some
other helpful videos popping up on your screen right about now that i think you will enjoy
and just a quick reminder we are not doctors this video is for informational purposes only
thank you so much for watching have a blessed day and as always breathe easy my friend