• A 65-year-old female is driven to the hospital emergency room with severe shortness of breath, cough, and fever. She is also complaining of muscle aches stating, "It feels like I was hit by a truck." She has a long-standing history of severe lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) requiring home oxygen because of a 45-pack-per-year smoking history. It is January, and she declined influenza vaccination when she was seen by her primary care physician in November. She is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of severe exacerbation of her chronic lung disease. The next day her attending physician decides to test her for influenza. The test is reported back to the floor as a critical value because the result is positive for influenza Type A. She is started on an antiviral medication for influenza.

1. Discuss the following questions:
   1. What type of transmission-based precautions should be used to isolate this patient?
   2. What could have been done differently with this case starting with the emergency room?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 The patient with a positive influenza Type A test should be placed under droplet ... View the full answer