Should pts w/ + sputum cultures be on droplet precautions?

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I have had several patients who have had positive sputum cultures. But other nurses and MDs say there is no need to put them in droplet precautions. Can someone clarify why? I'm stumped. Thanks

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Positive for what?

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Not for MRSA...but for Gram positive bacteria. I just thought if they have positive sputum cultures...shouldn't they automatically be in droplet? Or only if they are actively coughing? Please help me understand...

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

what are they positive for? CDC guidelines

CDC -Transmission-Based Precautions BICPP - HICPAC

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Not for MRSA...but for Gram positive bacteria. I just thought if they have positive sputum cultures...shouldn't they automatically be in droplet? Or only if they are actively coughing? Please help me understand...

Sputum cultures are expected to be positive for upper respiratory tract flora, which mostly gram positive bacteria. So if you're going to put everyone on isolation for having just "positive" sputum cultures then you'll have to isolate everyone including yourself.

Normally, blood and urine are sterile and will have "no growth" cultures, so I can see how it would seem like a normal sputum culture is abnormal because it's not sterile, but that actually is normal.

MRSA on the other hand isn't normally found in everyone's sputum, so we put people who do on isolation precautions to try and keep it that way.

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.

Only +MRSA patients at my hospital are placed on precautions.

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Specializes in Public Health.
what are they positive for? CDC guidelines CDC -Transmission-Based Precautions BICPP - HICPAC

I noticed the CDC basically recommended some type of isolation precautions for pretty much every patient that would need acute care.

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