INFECTION PREVENTION: IMPLEMENTING ISOLATION PRECAUTIONS -- AN OVERVIEW

Course overview

Isolation precautions (also called “patient isolation”) are infection prevention measures used in addition to standard precautions to prevent transmission of infectious agents to other individuals. Isolation precautions, such as contact, droplet, and airborne precautions, involve placing a patient with a contagious disease in an environment that permits contact with others only if certain personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn. This continuing education module is designed to give the reader/learner an increased understanding of isolation precautions for infection prevention, including the different types of isolation precautions, implementation of isolation precautions, and infections requiring isolation precautions, and to aid in caring for the patient who is being isolated for infection prevention. Readers may explore any or all of the topics. One contact hour of continuing education credit is available for those who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form.