Which of the following will probably result in a break in sterile technique for respiratory isolation?
A. Opening the patient’s window to the outside environment.
B. Turning on the patient’s room ventilator.
C. Opening the door of the patient’s room leading into the hospital corridor.
D. Failing to wear gloves when administering a bed bath.
Correct Answer: C. Opening the door of the patient’s room leading into the hospital corridor.
Respiratory isolation, like strict isolation, requires that the door to the door patient’s room remain closed. Appropriate patient placement is a significant component of isolation precautions. A private room is important to prevent direct- or indirect-contact transmission when the source patient has poor hygienic habits, contaminates the environment, or cannot be expected to assist in maintaining infection control precautions to limit transmission of microorganisms (ie, infants, children, and patients with altered mental status).
Option A: Opening the patient’s window is acceptable because the room needs to be well-ventilated. A private room with appropriate air handling and ventilation is particularly important for reducing the risk of transmission of microorganisms from a source patient to susceptible patients and other persons in hospitals when the microorganism is spread by airborne transmission. Some hospitals use an isolation room with an anteroom as an extra measure of precaution to prevent airborne transmission.
Option B: The patient’s room should be well ventilated, so turning on the ventilator is desirable.
Option D: The nurse does not need to wear gloves for respiratory isolation, but good handwashing is important for all types of isolation. Wearing gloves does not replace the need for handwashing, because gloves may have small, apparent defects or may be torn during use, and hands can become contaminated during removal of gloves. Failure to change gloves between patient contacts is an infection control hazard.