At Gadsden Regional Medical Center, we are dedicated to providing the best care posssible. While germs are an everyday part of life, during times of illness the body is weak and more susceptible to develop infection. There are some things that you can do to help us stop the spread of infection.
- Wash your hands before and after each visit
- Don’t visit if you are feeling ill or if you have had any symptoms such as fever, sore throat, or cough
- Don’t visit if you have felt ill or had any of the above symptoms in the past 2 days
- Don’t touch any wounds or dressings that the patient may have
- Don’t use bathrooms in the patient’s room
Isolation
At Gadsden Regional Medical Center, we follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to determine patients who may need to be placed on isolation. If it has been determined that your family member meets criteria for isolation, your nurse will provide education for both you and your loved one. Please follow the instructions that will be provided to you. By following the CDC’s isolation precautions, we can prevent the spread of infection between patients and to other members of the population.
Types of Isolation:
Contact Precautions: This is the most common form of precaution used in the hospital. Illnesses in this category are spread through contact with the skin. In order to avoid spreading these illnesses we ask that visitors and staff apply gloves and isolation gowns before entering the patient’s room.
Droplet Precautions: This form of precaution is needed in order to prevent the spread of germs from the respiratory tract of the infected individual to the mucous membranes (nasal passages, mouth) of those around. The particles are in the air and are spread over small distances. The personal protective equipment needed includes a gown, gloves, and a mask for all persons entering the patient’s room.
Airborne Precautions: This form of precaution is used for particles that are capable for traveling long distances. It requires a special mask, gloves, and gown, and a negative pressure room that will remove the particles to prevent transmission throughout a larger area.
Tips:
For all forms of isolation it is vital to remove the personal protective equipment before exiting the room. Even if you are only stepping out to ask a question, you must remove these items. Not doing so allows germs to spread to the area around the room.
Do not bring items such as purses into the rooms. These items may be contaminated and allow the illness to spread to your home and family.
Resources:
Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings*
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