Viral meningitis - precautions?

[JennyAS]

I'm a new nurse, have been working in the ER for 5 months now (and loving it!).

Last night I offered to take a pt up to the floor for another nurse. Dx: viral meningitis (strange to already have that dx in the ER, aren't you supposed to wait till cultures come back?). Anyway, MD was confident it was viral. On the floor I am greeted by a nurse and tech wearing droplet precaution masks; both are looking at me like I'm crazy. I say, "hey guys, it's viral." "Yeah, that's droplet precautions." "I'm pretty sure it's standard." "No, he should be wearing a mask." I told them CDC recommends standard (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/guidelines/Isolation2007_appendixA.pdf) but they told me they had a sheet somewhere saying it was droplet because if the patient sneezes they can transmit the virus. When I came back down to the ER everyone agreed it's standard... but these floor nurses make me question it.

So my question is: viral meningitis - standard or droplet?

Another source: http://info.med.yale.edu/ynhh/infection/dislist/intro.html. But maybe there's new research out?

On another note - I had one of those nights where one patient was screaming bloody murder at me for touching the tape around her IV and wouldn't let me do anything unless a doctor ok'd it (lady, I know what phlebitis looks like, I don't need an MD to tell me), and another ask if a doctor could put in her IV bc I missed the first try... I guess it was just one of those nights. I'm still developing my thick skin

[rex.jr_RN]

However, for P. meningitis and N. meningitis require Standard.

[rex.jr_RN]

For Viral, can I assume that it requires standard, because AIDS, HEP B and HIV do require standard. Isnt it?

[ERjodiRN]

where i work we use droplet precautions on both viral and bacterial. we use droplet precautions on everyone with cold symptoms until cleared by an MD actually...because the last few flu seasons have been pretty bad. we ask anyone with a cough to wear a mask out in triage. it's all about infection control. while viral meningitis only requires standard per CDC protocols, you really don't want it to spread to you or the patient's family members because it is still an illness that is generally worse than the common cold. i've seen some really bad cases of viral, where the pt is completely disoriented and writhing in pain with high fevers. that one really did mimic most of the bacterial cases i have seen.....but the csf fluid results and quality are night and day. clear to lightly cloudy vs very cloudy to straight pus....high wbc and glucose counts too.

[musicgal]

According to the CDC, Only Haemophilius influenza (type B), Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcal), and invasive multi-drug resistant streptococcal types require droplet precautions. Fungal and other bacterial types only require standard precautions. However, until the organism is confirmed, I'm wearing a mask! Better safe than sorry :-)

CDC - 2007 Isolation Precautions - HICPAC