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Small gram negative bacillus, encapsulated or not (non=non-typeable).
Normal respiratory flora.
Invasive disease sharply declined after Hib conjugate vaccine widely used, especially in children <5yrs old who were the main victims.
Most invasive disease is now caused by non-typeable strains.
Colonizer of the upper respiratory tract.
May cause invasive disease including:
Droplet precautions if presentation is epiglottitis and or patient is incapacitated or cognitively unable to self contain (i.e. cover mouth when coughing, wash hands etc.); Droplet precautions for all pediatrics patients – it is assumed kids have a harder time self containing (i.e. covering mouth etc.) and therefore droplet precautions recommended.
Once patient has been on appropriate antibiotics for 24 hours they can be de-escalated from droplet to routine precautions.