Additional Precautions

There are 3 main additional precautions: Airborne, Contact, and Droplet precautions. Some infectious agents, such as influenza, have a combination of precautions, for example Droplet-Contact.

According to Public Health Ontario (2012), the following guidelines are required for the various additional precautions to prevent the transmission of microorganisms.  

Airborne Precautions

Healthcare providers need to follow airborne precautions, as well as routine practices when providing care or entering the client’s environment. 

Review appendix E and K in Routine practices and additional precautions in all health care settings (3rd ed.) by Public Health Ontario (2012) for further guidelines related to airborne precautions.

Contact Precautions

Healthcare providers need to follow contact precautions, as well as routine practices when providing care or entering the client’s environment. 

Review appendix E, F, and G in Routine practices and additional precautions in all health care settings (3rd ed.) by Public Health Ontario for further guidelines related to contact precautions.

Droplet Precautions

Healthcare providers need to follow droplet precautions, as well as routine practices when providing care or entering the client’s environment. 

Review appendix E and H in Routine practices and additional precautions in all health care settings (3rd ed.) by Public Health Ontario (2012) for further guidelines related to droplet precautions.

Droplet + Contact Precautions

Healthcare providers need to follow all additional precautions when working with a client on combined additional precautions. For example, with influenza, healthcare providers need to follow droplet and contact precautions, as well as routine practices when providing care or entering the client’s environment.  

Review appendix E, I and J in Routine practices and additional precautions in all health care settings (3rd ed.) by Public Health Ontario (2012) for further guidelines related to droplet contact precautions.

For more information on additional precautions, please review Public Health Ontario guidelines at https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/B/2012/bp-rpap-healthcare-settings.pdf?la=en

References

Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee, Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. (2012). Routine practices and additional precautions in all health care settings (3rd ed.).  Public Health Ontario. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/B/2012/bp-rpap-healthcare-settings.pdf?la=en

Public Health Ontario. (2021). Additional Precautions Signage and Lanyard Cards https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/health-topics/infection-prevention-control/routine-practices-additional-precautions/additional-precautions-signage