What is required to be worn in a room under Droplet Precautions?

Wearing a surgical mask is necessary in a room under Droplet Precautions because these precautions are implemented to prevent the transmission of pathogens spread through respiratory droplets. Surgical masks are designed to effectively protect the wearer from potential infectious droplets that can be generated when a patient coughs, sneezes, talks, or breathes. The mask acts as a barrier, trapping large respiratory droplets that might otherwise be inhaled, thus reducing the risk of infection related to droplet transmission.

In contrast, while an N95 respirator provides a higher level of protection and is required in situations involving airborne transmission, it is not necessary for droplet precautions. A face shield offers additional protection but is typically used in conjunction with a mask, rather than as a standalone measure for droplet precautions. Gloves are important for contact precautions but do not offer the respiratory protection that a mask does, making them insufficient by themselves in this context. Therefore, the requirement for a surgical mask highlights its role in specifically mitigating the risk associated with droplet transmission in healthcare settings.