Page 142 - policy and procedure infection control

Policies and Procedures on Infection Control

2. Health-care workers should practise hand hygiene before and after any direct contact
with patients.
3. Personnel should also comply to the immunization policy of the hospital. Generally
health-care workers should be immune to measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and
influenza.

4. Personnel with active upper respiratory infection should avoid attending to patients.

6.9.7 Visitors
1. Written policies for visitors should be documented and made available.
2. Restriction to visitor numbers to two per patient at any one time is recommended.
Visitors are requested to practice hand hygiene before any contact with patient and
should not sit on patient’s bed.
3. Children under 12 years are not allowed.
4. Visitors who have communicable infections e.g. upper respiratory tract infections,
recent exposure to communicable infections, active shingles, recent vaccination
within 6 weeks should not be permitted.

6.9.8 Surveillance cultures
1. Routine bacteria and fungal cultures of asymptomatic patients, environment,
equipment and devices are not recommended.
2. Colonization with MRSA may be eradicated with 0.2% chlorhexidine or mupirocin.
This may be indicated during outbreaks.
3. An outbreak e.g. twofold or greater increase in aspergillus infections during any 6
month period may suggest a lapse in infection control procedures and attention to
environment or ventilation should be carefully evaluated.

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