Hospital Isolation and Precaution Guidelines

Abstract

Infections acquired in hospitals have been recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality since before the era of Semmelweis and Lister. Hospital isolation and precaution procedures have evolved along highly individualistic lines depending on the facilities, patient population and the degree of concern regarding nosocomial infections at a particular hospital. In recent years, a number of valuable manuals which offer details of isolation and precaution techniques as well as recommendations for the hospital control of particular infectious diseases have become available. These include: 1. Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare: Isolation Techniques Used in Hospitals. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1970. 2. Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, ed. 16. Evanston, Illinois: American Academy of Pediatrics, 1970. 3. Infection Control in the Hospital, ed. 2. Chicago: American Hospital Association, 1970. 4. Benenson, A. S. (ed.): Control of Communicable Diseases in Man, ed. 11. New York: American Public Health Association, 1970. 5. Top, F. H. (ed.): Control of Infectious Diseases in General Hospitals. New York: American Public Health Association, 1967. In an attempt to synthesize these recommendations into a more easily utilized form, the following alphabetical listing of diseases and conditions has been developed by members of the Infections Control Committee at the Children's Hospital Medical Center. It should be stressed that these are guidelines based on current understanding of the natural history and epidemiology of certain infections. In our hospital, modifications are frequently necessary due to heavy demand for the limited isolation facilities.