Synopsis
Recognise transmission risk and healthcare-associated infection early, choose proportionate isolation and personal protective equipment, and preserve essential clinical care while preventing spread.
- Standard infection-control precautions apply to every patient: hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, sharps safety, environmental cleaning and risk-based protective equipment.
- Add contact, droplet or airborne precautions from the suspected route and procedure, then refine when the diagnosis and infectious period are clearer.
- A single room is a clinical intervention with communication, mobility and psychological harms; review the indication and stop isolation when national and local criteria are no longer met.
- Diarrhoea after antibiotics or healthcare exposure raises Clostridioides difficile: isolate, use soap and water after contact and obtain the appropriate unformed stool sample.
- Screening results may represent colonisation rather than infection. Colonisation may require organism- and setting-specific transmission precautions, but it does not justify antibiotics unless an invasive syndrome exists.
- Investigate clusters through infection prevention and UKHSA channels, preserving patient confidentiality while recording exposures, movement and staff or visitor links.
Key red flags
Acute diarrhoea, draining wounds, uncontrolled secretions or resistant-organism carriage creates hand and environmental contamination risk requiring prompt contact measures.
Possible pulmonary tuberculosis, measles, varicella or another nationally designated airborne disease requires rapid room, mask and staff-exposure planning.
Two or more epidemiologically linked cases, unusual resistance or staff illness suggests transmission beyond an isolated event and requires infection-prevention investigation.
Investigation priorities
Determine whether infection is present, where it began and which contacts or procedures are relevant.
Management branches
Symptoms, exposure or microbiology suggests contact, droplet or airborne spread.
- Perform immediate risk assessment, place the patient appropriately, display clear precautions, provide required PPE and inform infection prevention without delaying urgent care.
- Obtain targeted diagnostic samples, document onset and movement history and identify high-risk roommates, staff procedures or visitors.
- Review precautions when results and clinical course clarify pathogen, infectious period and control criteria; communicate status at every transfer.