Table 1.

Common Health Care–Associated Infections and Transmission-Based Precautions [17]

Modes of Transmission	Details	Precautionary Measures	Causative Organisms
Direct contact	Infections which transmit through direct contact with an infected patient either by physical touch or by direct droplet infection (sneeze, cough)	•Hand hygiene •Gowns and gloves •Equipment disinfection	•Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) •Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) •Beta lactamase •Enterobacteriaceae •Respiratory syncytial Virus •Scabies
Airborne	Infection transmission through small respiratory droplets like sneeze, cough, laugh, exhale, etc.	•Hand hygiene •Respirator mask •Equipment disinfection	•Tuberculosis •Pulmonary and laryngeal Zoster •Varicella
Droplet	Infection transmission through large respiratory droplets including cough, sneeze or drip within 3 feet of patient	•Hand hygiene •Surgical mask •Equipment disinfection	•Influenza •Group A streptococcus •Meningococci •Pertussis
Enteric	Infection through exposure to infected body secretions including feces, vomit or contaminated food and water	•Hand wash with soap and water (Alcohol is not effective) •Gowns and gloves •Equipment disinfection	•Clostridium difficile (C diff) •Norovirus
Bloodborne infections	Infection that spread through contamination by blood and other body fluids	•Hand hygiene •Gowns and gloves •Proper handling of sharps, needles, devices and body fluids •Equipment disinfection	•Hepatitis B virus •Hepatitis C virus •Human immunoeficiency virus