Your squad transports a frail elderly gentleman from a long-term care facility. Chief complaint includes productive cough, chest pain, loss of appetite, and low-grade fever.
Skin is warm and dry.
The patient is responsive to commands but has a high level of dementia. The only medical history from the nursing facility is that this man has a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and has been doing poorly over the past few weeks. During transport, medics start oxygen, establish an IV, and provide comfort measures. Within one hour, the patient is delivered to an acute care hospital and subsequently admitted for possible pneumonia. Standard Precautions Standard Precautions dictate that all patients need to be treated the same when it comes to infection control.