Airborne Precautions

Important information:

Airborne precautions are a set of safety measures used for patients with a known or suspected infection carried by small droplet particles in the air. These small particles can move through the air within a room or over a long distance. To keep the particles from spreading, your child has been placed in a negative pressure room. There will be a sign on the door of your child’s room to make staff and visitors aware. The door must be kept closed. Please wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol hand rub often. This reduces the spread of germs.

What does the staff wear?

The staff will wear a mask when entering the room. You may also see staff wearing gowns and gloves when doing patient-care activities. Upon leaving, the staff will remove their gown and mask and discard them. They will remove their gloves and wash their hands or use an alcohol rub to clean their hands.

Are visitors allowed?

Possibly. Please check with your child’s medical team. If visitors are allowed, they must check with your child’s nurse before entering the room. All visitors should wash their hands or use an alcohol hand rub before leaving the room. If masks are required, they should not be removed until after leaving the room. Visitors, including parents and guardians, may not visit other patient’s rooms or bedsides.

Can we leave the room?

Your child is not allowed in the playroom or other common areas. They may not leave the room except for tests and procedures. If your child needs to leave the room for a test, they must wear a regular surgical mask and perform hand hygiene.

Children younger than 14 years old, who are visiting patients on isolation precautions, must stay in the patient’s room and may not go to the playroom, family rooms, or bridge area. Family members and visitors 14 years and older of patients on isolation precautions may go to the kitchen after washing their hands or using an alcohol-based hand rub.

For questions or concerns, contact a member of your child’s healthcare team.

Reviewed May 2024 by Maureen Mccloskey, RN, CIC, Lindsay Brim, CIC