Page 141 - policy and procedure infection control

Policies and Procedures on Infection Control

5. Avoid fresh salads, fresh fruits, raw peanuts and seeds and raw or undercooked
seafood.
6. Avoid naturopathic foods that may contain moulds. Pepper is to be avoided.

7. Sterile foods, on the other hand are expensive, tasteless and not proven in benefit
8. Low microbial diet should continue at least 3 months after chemotherapy or autologous
stem cell transplant. In allogenic stem cell transplant, it should continue until all
immune-suppressives are stopped.

6.9.5 Facilities
1. Isolation in single rooms is beneficial in the setting of aplastic anaemia, induction
therapy of high risk AML patients especially elderly and in haemopoietic stem cell
transplant setting. All haemato-oncology patients should be placed in single rooms
where possible. Where not possible, they can be nursed in open cubicles with
isolation facilities made available when necessary e.g. during MRSA or ESBL-
infections.
2. For isolation rooms, HEPA filter with a capacity of maintaining <3/10,000 atmospheric
particles of 0.3microns with > 12 air exchanges per hour will remove bacteria and
fungal spores. This is most effective to prevent hospital acquired aspergillus. The
use of laminar air flow rooms is controversial.

3. Isolation rooms should have self-closing doors and well-sealed windows. Avoid false
ceilings. Flooring and wall finishing can be scrub, non-porous and easily disinfected.
A constant positive pressure of >2.5 Pa between the patient’s room and hall way
should be maintained. Back-up emergency power should be available.
4. Wards and rooms should be regularly cleaned at least once a day. Avoid vacuuming.
Any water leaks should be attended to within 72 hours.

5. Avoid construction or renovation areas during transportation of patients to other
facilities e.g. X-ray. Patients should wear an N95 mask if this is unavoidable.
6. Any construction or renovation activities adjacent to the units should be discussed
with the infection control unit before proceeding. (Refer to section on construction
and renovation)
7. Patients with concomitant active infectious diseases e.g. tuberculosis or measles
should be nursed in isolation room with negative pressure with an adjacent anteroom.
8. Equipment should be cleaned regularly and disinfected at least once a week.
9. Plants – fresh or dried and soft toys are prohibited. Only toys, games and videos
that can be cleaned are allowed.

6.9.6 Personnel precautions
1. Health care workers should practice standard precautions. Personnel should wear
surgical masks when entering rooms. They should practice hand hygiene with alcohol
based hand rubs before entering and after leaving rooms. Gloves should be worn
after entering room and washing hands and discarded before exiting.

130 Ministry of Health Malaysia