Airborne Precaution Room Placement and Entry

Key Points

• Patients with known or suspected airborne-transmitted infection require airborne precautions.
• Preferred placement is a negative-pressure room.
• If negative pressure is unavailable, place patient in a private room with the door closed and mask the patient.

Equipment

• Negative-pressure room access when available
• Airborne isolation signage and room-entry instructions
• Fit-tested NIOSH-approved N95 (or higher-level respirator) for staff
• Patient N95 mask for essential transport outside room

Procedure Steps

1. Confirm airborne-precaution indication from symptoms and/or diagnosis context.
2. Place patient in negative-pressure room whenever available.
3. If negative-pressure room is unavailable, place patient in private room and keep door closed.
4. Ensure patient masking is in place when negative-pressure placement is not available.
5. Verify airborne PPE readiness at room entry before each staff encounter.
6. Don fit-tested NIOSH-approved N95 (or higher-level respirator) before room entry.
7. Limit nonessential room entry and cluster care when possible.
8. Restrict transport outside room to essential needs only.
9. If transport is essential, apply patient N95 mask and communicate airborne status to destination team.
10. Doff PPE per policy and perform hand hygiene immediately after exit.

Common Errors

• Delayed airborne placement → increased risk of environmental spread.
• Entering without fit-tested respirator → inadequate staff protection.
• Leaving private-room door open when negative pressure unavailable → higher transmission risk.
• Nonessential transport without controls → avoidable exposure in shared spaces.

Related

• airborne-precaution-supply-readiness - Supply readiness supports safe airborne entry workflow.
• n95-respirator-use-and-fit-check - Respirator fit and mask integrity are essential for airborne protection.