Title: Identify types of isolation.
Course: Medical Laboratory Technology I (14102-I) > Section: Maintaining a Safe Environment

Identification should include the primary types of isolation and their purposes, which are

- isolation for infections spread by airborne transmission (e.g., chicken pox, measles, smallpox, tuberculosis)
- isolation for infections transmitted by direct contact or indirect contact (e.g., influenza, conjunctivitis)
- isolation for infections spread by droplet transmission through coughing, sneezing, or talking (e.g., respiratory infections).

Identification should also include the concept that isolation is sometimes needed for the patient and sometimes for the healthcare provider (i.e., reverse isolation).

Process/Skill Questions:

- What are the consequences of not following the correct procedures for isolation?
- What are the consequences of not following the correct procedures for reverse isolation?
- Beyond routine PPE, what additional procedures must be followed with a patient in airborne isolation? In tuberculosis isolation (e.g., fit testing)?
- What are some emerging pathogens?