Guidelines in Practice: Transmission-Based Precautions

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Infection Control
• Public Health

Background:

• Emerging and persistent infectious threats pose risks in surgical settings.
• Perioperative nurses require updated guidance for effective infection prevention.
• The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has released a revised guideline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the updated AORN "Guideline for transmission-based precautions."
• To highlight key recommendations for perioperative nurses regarding infectious disease threats.
• To emphasize the importance of applying these guidelines for patient and personnel safety.

Main Methods:

• Review of the AORN "Guideline for transmission-based precautions."
• Discussion of recommendations including personal protective equipment and various precaution types (standard, contact, droplet, airborne).
• Inclusion of infective airborne particle risk assessment and patient transport protocols.

Main Results:

• The guideline offers comprehensive strategies for managing infectious threats in perioperative settings.
• Recommendations cover a range of practices from PPE use to patient transport.
• A practical scenario demonstrates the application of airborne precautions during patient transport.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative nurses must review and implement the AORN guideline for robust infection prevention.
• Adherence to the guideline protects patients and healthcare personnel.
• The guideline supports the delivery of safe, evidence-based care in all surgical environments.