Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Version 2

Supplement I: Infection Control in Healthcare, Home, and Community Settings

Appendix I2: Summary of Recommendations for Expanded Precautions
May 3, 2005

Category

Elements

Contact Precautions

• Single patient room (preferred)
• Gloves for all contact with patient and environment of care
• Isolation gown for all patient contact

Droplet Precautions

• Single patient room (preferred)
• Surgical mask within 3 feet of patient
• Eye protection within 3 feet of patient with SARS -CoV

Airborne Infection Isolation

• Private room with monitored negative air pressure relative to surrounding areas and 6-12 air exchanges per hour
• Appropriate discharge of the air to the outdoors or monitored high-efficiency filtration of room air before recirculation
• Doors closed except as needed for entry and exit
• NIOSH-approved respiratory protection (e.g., N-95 respirator) for entry to rooms of patients with infectious pulmonary or laryngeal M. tuberculosis, draining skin lesions with M. tuberculosis, SARS-CoV disease, smallpox, and viral hemorrhagic fevers.