TABLE 2.2.

Transmission-Based Precautions^a

Component	Contact	Droplet	Airborne
Hand hygiene	Per Standard Precautions Perform 5 moments of hand hygiene, and upon entry into room Soap and water preferred over alcohol hand rub for Clostridium difficile, Bacillus anthracis spores	Per Standard Precautions Perform 5 moments of hand hygiene, and upon entry into room	Per Standard Precautions Perform 5 moments of hand hygiene, and upon entry into room
Gown	Yes; don before or upon entry into room	Per Standard Precautions Add to droplet precautions for infants, young children, or presence of diarrhea	Per Standard Precautions and, if infectious, draining skin lesions present
Gloves	Yes; don before or upon entry into room	Per Standard Precautions. Add for infants, young children and/or presence of diarrhea	Per Standard Precautions Add for infants, young children or presence of diarrhea
Mask	Per Standard Precautions	Yes; don before or upon entry into room	Don N95 particulate respirator or higher before entry into room
Goggles or face shield	Per Standard Precautions	Per Standard Precautions Always for SARS, avian influenza	Per Standard Precautions Always for SARS, avian influenza
N95 or higher respirator (Always don before entry into room)	When aerosol-generating procedures performed for influenza, SARS, VHFb	When aerosol-generating procedures performed for influenza, SARS, VHF	Yes; don before entry into room
Room placement	Single-patient room preferred Cohort similar infections if single-patient rooms unavailable	Single-patient room preferred Cohort similar infections if single-patient rooms unavailable	Single-patient room Negative air pressure; 12 air changes/hr for new construction, 6 air changes/hr for existing rooms
Environmental measures	Increased frequency, especially in the presence of diarrhea, transmission of C. difficile, norovirus Bleach for VRE, C. difficile, norovirus	Routine	Routine
Transport	Mask patient if coughing Cover infectious skin lesions PPE not routinely required for transporter	Mask patient	Mask patient Cover infectious skin lesions

PPE, personal protective equipment; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome; VHF, viral hemorrhagic fever; VRE, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

^aIn addition to Standard precautions, use Transmission-Based Precautions for patients with highly transmissible or epidemiologically important pathogens for which additional precautions are needed.

^bIncludes Ebola virus. Consult most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization guidelines for recommended infection control precautions for Ebola virus disease.

Modified with permission from Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, et al. Guideline for isolation precautions: preventing transmission of infectious agents in healthcare settings, 2007. Am J Infect Control 2007;35(Suppl 2):S65–S164.