In an outpatient clinic policy for influenza that requires movement in dedicated single-patient exam rooms, which additional requirement should be included?

• A. Healthcare personnel must wear a face mask when in the exam room
• B. A portable HEPA filter should be used in the exam room
• C. The room should be kept under negative air pressure with the door closed
• D. Patients should wear an N95 respirator

Answer: (A)

Influenza spreads mainly through respiratory droplets when people talk, cough, or sneeze. In an outpatient setting with dedicated single-patient exam rooms, applying droplet precautions means healthcare personnel should wear a mask whenever they are in the room with a patient who has or may have influenza. This simple measure reduces the chance that droplets reach the staff’s airway and also helps limit how far droplets can spread if the patient is coughing.

Other options introduce controls that aren’t typically required for influenza in outpatient care. A negative air pressure room and airborne precautions are generally reserved for diseases that spread mainly by aerosols, not standard influenza. A portable HEPA filter is not a standard requirement for routine influenza in a clinic, and having the patient wear an N95 respirator isn’t standard practice for influenza care in this setting. The mask-wearing rule for the healthcare worker provides the practical, effective protection needed in this scenario.