The pandemic highlighted that the way in which respiratory transmission is currently described (droplet and airborne transmission) may not reflect what is happening in real life and so, there is a need to identify alternatives ways to describe respiratory transmission routes.
Understanding how infectious agents are released into the air and the risks associated with particle size and distance from source will help inform this. Reviewing the evidence to understand if there is increased risk associated with certain medical procedures will also inform IPC practice.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have also reviewed transmission descriptors indicating a global shift in the way transmission routes are described. ARHAI Scotland were invited to meet with the WHO global IPC unit to discuss the topic and our literature review findings were well received.
ARHAI are currently developing recommendations for practice. It is likely that ‘droplet transmission’ and ‘airborne transmission’ will be replaced with new definitions to describe respiratory transmission. This will mean changes throughout the CHIPCM to update the terminology including the addition of resources to support any guidance changes.
It is too early to understand what might change in practice, but it is likely that there will be a need for care home staff to consider more factors when risk assessing what PPE to wear.
The goal of the CHIPCM is to provide care home staff in Scotland with guidance that is evidence based, up-to-date, effective, practical, and as a result, safe.
Use of the CHIPCM online is always advised to ensure access to up to date guidance. Updates to the CHIPCM content are communicated to stakeholders via the Care Home IPC Oversight and Advisory Group in addition to the news section of the NIPCM.
For further detail please use this link to the Transmission Based Precautions Definitions Literature Review.