A nurse is admitting a child who has pertussis. Which of the following transmission-based precautions should the nurse initiate?
A.
Contact
B.
Airborne
C.
Protective
D.
Droplet
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is D. Droplet.
Explanation:
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is characterized by severe coughing fits that can lead to complications such as pneumonia, seizures, and in some cases, death, particularly in young children. Understanding the appropriate transmission-based precautions for pertussis is crucial in preventing its spread within healthcare settings.
Transmission-based precautions are additional infection control measures used in conjunction with standard precautions to prevent the spread of infectious agents. For pertussis, the primary mode of transmission is through respiratory droplets. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, they release droplets that can be inhaled by others in close proximity. This is why droplet precautions are essential for managing pertussis.
Droplet precautions include:
- Wearing a mask: Healthcare providers should wear a surgical mask when working within 3 feet of the patient to prevent inhalation of respiratory droplets.
- Patient placement: If possible, the patient should be placed in a private room, or at least in a room where they are separated from other patients by a distance of at least 3 feet.
- Patient transport: When transporting the patient, they should wear a mask to minimize the risk of droplet transmission to others.
- Hand hygiene: Frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is crucial to prevent the spread of the infection.
Contact precautions are not required for pertussis because the disease is not transmitted through direct contact with the patient or contaminated surfaces. Airborne precautions are necessary for diseases that spread through tiny airborne particles, such as tuberculosis or measles, which is not the case with pertussis. Protective precautions, or protective environment precautions, are used to protect immunocompromised patients from infections and are not relevant for pertussis transmission.
In summary, the nurse should initiate droplet precautions for a child with pertussis to effectively prevent the spread of the disease through respiratory droplets.