Under expanded precautions, what does droplet precaution involve?

Droplet precautions are a specific set of infection control practices used to prevent the spread of diseases that can be transmitted through respiratory droplets. These droplets are typically generated when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes.

Wearing a mask and eye protection is central to droplet precautions because these barriers help protect healthcare professionals and others from inhaling infectious droplets or having them come into contact with mucous membranes in the eyes. Masks reduce the risk of the transmission of pathogens that spread via droplets over short distances, which is critical when caring for patients with respiratory infections. Eye protection serves an additional purpose by guarding against droplets that might otherwise splash or come into contact with the eyes.

While maintaining spatial distance is a general practice in infection control, it is not as crucial under droplet precautions as in airborne precautions, where distance becomes more critical due to the smaller size and extended travel capabilities of those droplets. Similarly, isolation in a negative pressure room is specific to airborne precautions designed for infections that can linger in the air, rather than the localized transmission risk addressed by droplet precautions. Wearing gloves solely does not address the primary transmission route for droplet precautions either, as it does not protect the airways or mucous membranes from exposure.