When a person has or is suspected of having a harmful, contagious disease, Isolation Precautions are taken to prevent the spread of these diseases in the hospital. Isolation Precautions provide a barrier between the person and the disease causing germs.
Below are the different types of precautionary measures that have to be practiced for different types of germs. These should be strictly observed in the hospital to prevent spreading diseases.
I. STANDARD PRECAUTIONS:
Standard precautions, formerly known as “Universal Precautions,” are the main preventive measures for the successful control of hospital acquired infections. These types of precautionary measures should be practiced at all times with all patients in the hospital. They should also be practiced at home as well.
Hand washing:
Proper hand washing is the most important component of standard precautions. Thorough hand washing with an antimicrobial soap before and after patient care is one of the best ways to get rid of germs, and prevent the spread of germs to others. Gloves should be removed before leaving the patient’s room and hands washed.
At home:
- Wash your hands before, during, and after preparing food.
- After using the toilet.
- After changing diapers.
Personal protective equipment:
Gloves, gown, and protective eye wear are designed to prevent direct contact with a patient’s blood or body fluids, secretions, and excretions, non- intact skin, and mucous membranes regardless of their diagnosis.
II. CONTACT PRECAUTIONS:
In addition to Standard Precautions, Contact Precautions are used when a person has a contagious disease that can be spread by direct or indirect contact. You can get infected by direct physical contact, like touching the person’s infected site or body fluids or touching his contaminated equipment or touching what the infected person has touched or used.
The following measures are required for Contact Precautions:
- Place the patient in a private room.
- Make sure the Contact Precautions sign on the door is be visible to everyone.
- Gloves are to be worn when entering the room and should be removed before leaving the room.
- Proper hand washing before and after every patient interaction.
- A gown, eye goggles, and gloves should be worn if you will be taking care of a patient’s infectious materials such as wound drainage or respiratory secretions. Gown and gloves should be removed before leaving the patient’s room and hands washed thoroughly.
- Equipment should be properly cleaned and disinfected if it will be used with other patients.
- Notify every receiving department beforehand regarding patient isolation status, including the transporter.
Diseases that requires Contact Precaution measures:
- Methicillin Resistant S. Aureus (MRSA)
- Vancomycin Resistant Enteroccus (VRE)
- Clostridium difficile (C-Diff)
- Gastroenteritis
- Diarrhea of unknown cause
- Scabies
- Pediculosis (Head Lice)
- Unknown Skin Rash
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