A 78-year-old male presents to the emergency department reporting a 2-day history of difficulty breathing, cough, and chest pain. Upon triage assessment, the patient is found to have a fever, rapid rate of breathing, low oxygen saturation, and crackles upon auscultation of the lungs. A chest X-ray reveals consolidation in the right upper lung field. The patient is diagnosed with pneumonia, initiated on oxygen therapy, and admitted for observation and treatment.
-You are diligent to prevent the spread of disease to other patients.Which of the following is the most appropriate type of isolation for this patient,considering the portal of exit for the pathogen in this case?

Question

A 78-year-old male presents to the emergency department reporting a 2-day history of difficulty breathing, cough, and chest pain. Upon triage assessment, the patient is found to have a fever, rapid rate of breathing, low oxygen saturation, and crackles upon auscultation of the lungs. A chest X-ray reveals consolidation in the right upper lung field. The patient is diagnosed with pneumonia, initiated on oxygen therapy, and admitted for observation and treatment.
-You are diligent to prevent the spread of disease to other patients.Which of the following is the most appropriate type of isolation for this patient,considering the portal of exit for the pathogen in this case?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms suggest that the most likely pathogen responsible for the pneumonia is a virus or bacteria that spreads through droplets generated during coughing or sneezing, which can then be inhaled by others. Therefore, droplet isolation, which includes a gown, gloves, and mask, would be the most appropriate type of isolation to prevent the spread of the disease to other patients. Standard isolation (only gloves) would not be sufficient, while contact or airborne isolation would be excessive measures for this type of infection.

A 78-Year-Old Male Presents to the Emergency Department Reporting a 2-Day