DROPLETS

ISOLATION
Delivered By

Azlan Shah
 DROPLETS TRANSMISSION

● Droplet transmission occurs when droplets containing

microorganisms generated from the infected person,
primarily during coughing or sneezing.
● Generally transmitted over short distances, so facial
protection is advised.
● The droplets are relatively large (Acc., to WHO & CDC
larger than 5 microns) and do not suspends in the air for
long time, therefore negative pressure rooms are not
necessary.
 DROPLETS TRANSMISSION
● Droplets can be transmitted in two principle ways:

1) Direct Transmission: When respiratory droplets are expelled from an infected person onto the
mucosal surfaces of a susceptible person. These mucous membranes are the eyes, nose and mouth –
commonly known as a T-zone.

T ZONE
DROPLETS TRANSMISSION
 DROPLETS TRANSMISSION

● 2) Indirect Transmission: When the expelled droplets are placed at some surface, they
colonize that place. Now the infectious particles are even more contagious as their number
has increased greatly.
 DROPLETS ISOLATION

● Negative Pressure Rooms:

The air pressure inside
the room is lower than the air pressure outside the
room. 
● No cross ventilation is enabled
● Although the door remains closed, if it is
opened the contaminated air of the room
will not go outside.
Negative Pressure Rooms
 DROPLET PRECAUTIONS

● Place the patients in separate single room.

● Wash hand thoroughly before entering and leaving the
room.
● Put on an isolation mask before entering the patient’s
room. (Surgical masks would be enough)
● Patients may not leave the room except for essential tests
procedures that cannot be performed in the isolation
room.
● The patient should wear an isolation mask when out of
the room.
DROPLET PRECAUTIONS

● Clean hands
● Mask
● Eye protection
 INFECTIONS THAT REQUIRE
DROPLET PRECAUTIONS
● Influenza
● Pertussis or whooping cough - caused by
Bordetella Pertussis
● Mumps
● Diphtheria (Pharyngeal)
● German Measles (Rubella)
● Meningitis
● pneumonia
AIRBORNE
ISOLATION
 AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION

● Airborne transmission occurs by the dissemination

(spreading) of airborne droplet nuclei which are tiny
particles (smaller than 5 microns in diameter) containing
microorganisms that remain suspended in the air for long
periods.
● These microorganism are generated from infected person
during sneezing, coughing, or during procedures like
suctioning, bronchoscopy etc and are then inhaled by
susceptible host.

● Most Common are Chicken Pox and Herpes Zoster

AIRBORNE
PRECAUTIONS

Used for
infections
that are
transmitted
through
particles that
are too small
and remain
suspended in
air for a long
time.
 AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS

● Use of N-95 respirator when in the room.

● Use of PAPR (powdered air purifying respirator)
● Visitors will be restricted to parents or 2 designated
● Primary caregivers.
● Patient may not leave the room except for essential
tests.
● If possible the patient wears an isolation mask when
out of the room.
PAPR

N-95
 Infection that requires airborne
isolation
● Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
● Measles
● Varicella(chickenpox)
● Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS)
DROPLET VS AIRBORNE

DROPLET AIRBORNE
THANK YOU
Any questions ?