Infection prevention and control - Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical ...

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Infection prevention and control
Procedure guideline 3.10 Source isolation: preparing an isolation room
Essential equipment
■ Single-occupancy room
■ Patient equipment
■ Personal protective equipment
■ Hand hygiene facilities
■ Patient information material
Preprocedure
Action Rationale
1 Identify the most suitable room available for source
isolation, taking into account the risk to other patients
and staff and the patient’s other nursing needs.
Procedure
2 Remove all non-essential furniture and equipment from
the room. The remaining furniture should be easy to clean.
Ensure that the room is stocked with any equipment
required for patient care and suffi cient but not excessive
numbers of any disposable items that will be required.
3 Ensure that a bin for clinical waste with an orange bag
is present in the room. This will be used for all waste
generated in the room. The bag must be sealed before
it is removed from the room.
To ensure the best balance between minimizing the risk of
cross-infection and maintaining the safety and comfort of
the isolated patient. E
To ensure the availability of everything required for patient
care while minimizing the number of items that will require
cleaning or disposal at the end of the isolation period and
the amount of traffi c of people and equipment into and out
of the room. E
For containing contaminated rubbish within the room and
minimizing further spread of infection. E
4 Place a container for sharps in the room. To contain contaminated sharps within the infected area
( DH 2006a , C ).
5 Keep the patient’s personal property to a minimum. All
belongings taken into the room should be washable,
cleanable or disposable. Contact the infection prevention
and control team for advice as to how best to clean or
wash specifi c items.
6 Ensure that all PPE required is available outside the
room. Wall-mounted dispensers offer the best use of
space and ease of use but if necessary, set up a trolley
outside the door for PPE and alcohol handrub. Ensure
that this does not cause an obstruction or other hazard.
7 Explain the reason for isolation and the precise precautions
required to the patient, their family and other
visitors, providing relevant patient information material
where available. Allow the patient to ask questions and
ask for a member of the infection prevention and control
team to visit the patient if ward staff cannot answer all
questions to the patient’s satisfaction.
8 Fix a suitable notice outside the room where it will be
seen by anyone attempting to enter the room. This
should indicate the special precautions required while
preserving the patient’s confi dentiality.
9 Move the patient into the single-occupancy room.
10 Arrange for terminal cleaning of the bed space that the
patient has been occupying.
The patient’s belongings may become contaminated and
cannot be taken home unless they are washable or
cleanable. E
To have PPE readily available when required. E
Compliance is more likely if patients and their visitors understand
the reasons for isolation; the patient’s anxiety will
be reduced if they have as much information as possible
about their condition. E
To ensure all staff and visitors are aware of the need for additional
infection control precautions. E
To remove any infectious agents that may pose a risk to the
next patient to occupy that bed ( NPSA 2009 , C ).