Title: Differentiate between isolation techniques and practices.
Course: Medical Assistant I (14151-I) > Section: Maintaining Medical and Surgical Asepsis

Differentiation should include

- description of techniques (reducing the spread of infection)
- transmission-based precautions (solation measures to prevent the spread of infection)
- the importance of each technique

Isolation procedures include personal protective equipment (PPE) as it applies to the CDC regulations on disease processes. These are

  - putting on and taking off gown, mask, and gloves in the correct order to ensure that a clean technique is used throughout the process and the healthcare worker does not contaminate himself/herself
  - identifying CDC categories for specific PPE.

See also Guidance on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (CDC).

Process/Skill Questions:

- What is the role of standard precautions in medical asepsis? Of blood-borne pathogen guidelines?
- Why is PPE important to all health care workers?
- Why are high efficiency particle absorbing (HEPA) masks essential PPE for healthcare workers?
- What are the consequences of not employing PPE practices both to the healthcare professional and to the patient?