airborne infection isolation is an infection control measure that is taken to prevent the
spread of diseases that can be transmitted by tiny aerosol particles in the air this
can occur when an infected patient coughs or sneezes and even when they simply speak that
is because the infectious particles are so small that they can remain suspended
in the air for long periods of time and they can be spread to other people who are nearby
when they take a breath in we created this video to provide a brief overview of this topic 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 requires control
measures in order 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
airborne diseases that require high level isolation techniques in the hospital setting
airborne infection isolation is used to protect patients and medical professionals from the
spread of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis measles sores and varicella or more commonly known
as the chickenpox this type of infection control requires all personnel who enters the patient's
room to wear an approved n95 respirator or higher and it must be approved by the national institute
for occupational safety and health the respirator creates a tight seal around the mouth and nose
which helps prevent the inhalation of airborne organisms that are produced by infected patients
when they talk cough or sneeze the implementation of airborne precautions involves the following
steps first place the patient in a private negative pressure room the room must perform
6 to 12 air changes per hour with high efficiency filtration the patient must remain in the room
with the door closed at all times before entering the patient's room make sure to wash your hands
also make sure to put on an n95 or higher respirator before entering the room after
caring for and treating the patient you can exit the patient's room and then remove the respirator
and perform hand hygiene another important thing to remember is that susceptible personnel should
not care for these patients if immune personnel is available also patient transport should only occur
for essential purposes if a transport is required be sure to have the patient wear an appropriate
mask you should also try to use dedicated medical equipment for the patient if possible
if that's not possible be sure to properly clean and disinfect any equipment that can not be left
in the patient's room and another important step is to educate the patient and their family
about airborne isolation as previously mentioned airborne 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 or respirators before during or
after each patient interaction in addition all medical staff must know how to properly clean
disinfect and sterilize any equipment or surfaces that may have been contaminated by an isolated
patient it is important to remember that infection control precautions are not a substitute for good
hand hygiene researchers estimated that four percent 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 airborne infection isolation
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'll 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 real easy my friend