{{Short description|Health measures to avoid contracting an infection}} '''Protective isolation''' or '''reverse isolation''' denotes the practices used for protecting vulnerable persons for contracting an infection.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wigglesworth |first1=N |title=The use of protective isolation. |journal=Nursing Times |date=2003 |volume=99 |issue=7 |pages=26–7 |pmid=12655746 }}</ref> When people with weakened immune systems are exposed to organisms, it could lead to infection and serious complications.<ref name=whospital>{{cite web |title=Protective Isolation: What Is It and Why Do I Need It?: Winchester Hospital |url=https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=640670 |website=www.winchesterhospital.org |accessdate=3 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Reverse Isolation - What You Need to Know |url=https://www.drugs.com/cg/reverse-isolation.html |website=Drugs.com |accessdate=3 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref> It is sometimes practiced in patients with severe burns and leukemia, or those undergoing chemotherapy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Protective isolation (EN) |url=https://www.isala.nl/patientenfolders/8025-protective-isolation-en/ |website=www.isala.nl |accessdate=3 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pre-Meds |first1=Global |title=Nurses guide to personal protective equipment |url=https://www.globalpremeds.com/blog/2014/11/19/nurses-guide-to-personal-protective-equipment/ |website=Global Pre-Meds |accessdate=3 April 2020 |date=19 November 2014 |archive-date=29 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529081024/https://www.globalpremeds.com/blog/2014/11/19/nurses-guide-to-personal-protective-equipment/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> When reverse isolation is practiced in laminar air flow or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)-filtered rooms, there was an improvement in survival for patients receiving bone marrow or stem cell grafts.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Seshadri |first1=Srividyalakshmi |last2=Baumann |first2=Michael A. |title=Reverse isolation for neutropenic patients |journal=Community Oncology |date=November 2008 |volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=628–632 |doi=10.1016/S1548-5315(11)70529-0 }}</ref> __TOC__
==Precautions== When a person is in protective isolation, the room should be properly cleaned and ventilated. Only necessary furniture should be present in the room. Hand hygiene products such as hand sanitizer, soap, paper towels, and gloves should be made available.<ref name=whospital/> The hospital staff and visitors shall use protective clothing and equipment while visiting the person under protective isolation.<ref name=whospital/> The number of visitors should be limited and sick people should not visit the person who is under protective isolation.<ref name=whospital/> Dedicated medical equipment is used for the patient, and in cases where equipment should be shared, it is cleaned with a disinfectant.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reid |first1=Brenda |last2=Courtney |first2=Sarah |title=Isolation protocol for patients with severe combined immune deficiency |journal=Lymphosign Journal |pages=165–170 |doi=10.14785/lpsn-2015-0011 |date=14 July 2015|volume=2 |issue=3 |doi-access=free }}</ref> ==Consequences== A small study showed that children brought up under protective isolation have been reported to have less self-generated activity, including motor and motor-based cognitive skills.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tamaroff |first1=Michael H. |last2=Nir |first2=Yehuda |last3=Straker |first3=Norman |title=Children reared in a reverse isolation environment: Effects on cognitive and emotional development |journal=Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders |date=1 December 1986 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=415–424 |doi=10.1007/BF01531708 |pmid=3804957 |s2cid=30045420 |language=en |issn=1573-3432}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Infection-control measures Category:Nursing Category:Medical hygiene Category:Isolation (health care)