ISOLATION ICU
In the hospital setting, isolation refers to additional precautions taken to prevent transmission of
infectious agents, such as bacteria or viruses, between people.
When a patient is placed in hospital isolation, precautions are followed by healthcare staff and
visitors to help protect the patient, individuals that have contact with them, and other patients from
contagious diseases.
The term isolation is frequently confused with quarantine or solitary confinement, which can be a frightening consideration for both patients and visitors.
What Are Some Isolation Procedures for Hospitals?
Infection control may include one or more sets of isolation precautions, depending on specific patient circumstances. For example, a patient may be placed under both contact and droplet isolation if they carry infectious diseases that can be spread through both touch and coughing. Updated guidelines for disease control and prevention specify that personal protective equipment, such as gowns, gloves, or masks, should be worn upon entry into the room for patients who are under contact or droplet isolation.
Although guidelines for isolation precautions vary between hospitals, standard features for contact, droplet, and airborne isolation include:- Contact precautions: surgical gown and gloves needed when entering the patient’s room
- Droplet precautions: surgical masks and eye protection such as goggles or face shields required when entering the patient’s room
- Airborne precautions: patient placed in a single room with specialized ventilation; breathing apparatuses such as respirator masks or helmets with a personal air supply are required when entering the patient’s room