Infection Control Precautions

Infection control precautions are a set of standard recommendations for designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious agents from body fluids or environmental surfaces that contain infectious agents.

These precautions include the use of personal protective equipment that serve as barriers to protect against contact with infectious materials.

• Standard Precautions
  Standard precautions are the basic level of infection control that should be used in the care of all patients in all settings to reduce the risk of transmission of organisms that are both recognized and unrecognized.
  
  
• Contact Precautions
  Contact precautions should be utilized when direct or indirect contact with contaminated body fluids, equipment or the environment is anticipated.
  
  
• Droplet Precautions
  Droplet precautions should be utilized when working within 3 feet of a patient who is coughing or sneezing or during procedures that result in dispelling droplets into the air.
  
  
• Airborne Precautions
  Airborne precautions should be utilized when exposure to microorganisms transmitted via the airborne route is anticipated – including procedures such as nebulizing, suctioning, intubation.
  
  
• Full Barrier Precautions
  Full barrier precautions should be utilized for diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), hemorrhagic disease, and all known and suspect avian and pandemic influenza patients.
  
  

CDC: Isolation Precautions Guideline
CDC's guideline, includes sections on evolution of isolation practices and recommendations for isolation precautions in hospitals.