Airborne precautions, used in addition to standard precautions, prevent the spread of infectious droplet nuclei (small particles that become suspended in the air and disperse over long distances by air currents). Because the infectious particles can become suspended in the air, they may be inhaled by susceptible individuals who haven’t had face-to-face contact with their source (the infected individual).¹ (See Conditions requiring airborne precautions.)

Effective airborne precautions require an airborne infection isolation room—a single-patient room that’s equipped with monitored negative pressure (in relation to the surrounding area). An airborne infection isolation room should have 12 air exchanges/hour if the room has been newly constructed or renovated, or 6 air exchanges/hour in existing rooms. The air is either vented directly to the outside of the building or filtered through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration before recirculation.¹,² According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), air pressure should be monitored daily, using visual indicators, while the room is in use. The door to the room should be kept closed to maintain the proper air pressure balance between the isolation room and the adjoining hallway or corridor. An anteroom is preferred.

Respiratory protection must be worn by everyone who enters an airborne infection isolation room. Such protection is provided by a disposable respirator (such as an N95 respirator or a HEPA respirator) or a reusable respirator (such as a HEPA respirator or a powered air-purifying respirator [PAPR]).¹,² Regardless of the type of respirator used, the health care worker must ensure proper fit to the face each time the worker wears one by performing a user seal check.¹,² When using a PAPR, the health care worker must ensure proper functioning of the unit.