AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS

Course overview

AN AIRBORNE DISORDER IS ANY DISEASE THAT IS CAUSED BY A MICROORGANISM THAT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE AIR. THERE ARE MANY AIRBORNE DISEASES THAT ARE OF CLINICAL IMPORTANCE AND INCLUDE BACTERIA, VIRUSES, AND FUNGI. THESE ORGANISMS MAY BE SPREAD THROUGH SNEEZING, COUGHING, SPRAYING OF LIQUIDS, THE SPREAD OF DUST, OR ANY ACTIVITY THAT RESULTS IN THE GENERATION OF AEROSOLIZED PARTICLES. THE MICROORGANISMS TRANSMITTED AIRBORNE MAY BE SPREAD VIA A FINE MIST, DUST, AEROSOLS, OR LIQUIDS. THE AEROSOLIZED PARTICLES MAY BE GENERATED FROM A SOURCE OF INFECTION, SUCH AS BODY SECRETIONS OF AN INFECTED PATIENT OR EVEN AN ANIMAL. IN ADDITION, AEROSOLS MAY BE GENERATED FROM BIOLOGICAL WASTE PRODUCTS THAT ACCUMULATE IN GARBAGE, CAVES, AND DRY ARID CONTAINERS. DURING AEROSOLIZATION, THE MICROORGANISMS THAT ARE LESS THAN 100 MICRONS IN SIZE FLOAT IN THE AIR. SOMETIMES, THE MICROORGANISMS MAY BE CONTAINED IN DUST PARTICLES THAT ARE PRESENT IN THE AIR. ONCE THE DROPLETS THAT CONTAIN MICROORGANISMS HAVE BEEN FORMED, THEY ARE THEN DISPERSED VIA AIR CURRENTS TO VARYING DISTANCES AND CAN BE INHALED BY SUSCEPTIBLE HOSTS. THE INFECTED AEROSOLIZED PARTICLES OFTEN REMAIN SUSPENDED IN THE AIR CURRENTS AND MAY TRAVEL CONSIDERABLE DISTANCES, ALTHOUGH MANY PARTICLES WILL DROP OFF WITHIN THE VICINITY. AS THE DISTANCE TRAVELED OF THE AEROSOL PARTICLE INCREASES, THE RISK OF INFECTION STARTS TO DROP. AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS NECESSITATE THE PREVENTION OF INFECTIONS AND THE USE OF AVAILABLE INTERVENTIONS IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES TO PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF AIRBORNE PARTICLES. THE AIRBORNE PARTICLES MAY REMAIN LOCALIZED TO THE ROOM OR MOVE DEPENDING ON THE AIRFLOW. IN SOME CASES WHERE THERE IS INADEQUATE VENTILATION, THE AIRBORNE PARTICLE MAY REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL ROOM AND BE INHALED BY A NEWLY ADMITTED PATIENT. THE CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIONS ARE NOT SIMPLE. IT REQUIRES THE CONTROL OF AIRFLOW WITH THE USE OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED VENTILATOR SYSTEMS, THE PRACTICE OF ANTISEPTIC TECHNIQUES, WEARING PERSONALIZED PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (PPE), AND PERFORMING BASIC INFECTION PREVENTION MEASURES LIKE HAND WASHING. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE TECHNIQUES FOR MINIMIZING THE SPREAD OF AIRBORNE DISEASES AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MAXIMIZING AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.