Isolation-Task

possible entries: (None, Total)
- Total isolation are those patient that are complete that require gloves, gown, mask; hence there should only be a few patients with this task marked as total.

I was told by the medicine collectors here (STB) that they putting all pneumonias as complete isolation in the tasks. This can't be right as most are not on isolation at all. Only TB or other very infectious pneumonias would be on isolation. I don't really get why we wouldn't want to capture isolations like MRSA, c.diff, etc. I'm just helping out in medicine right now for a short time and have found this area to be confusing. Please explain this one. --LKolesar 09:07, 30 January 2009 (CST)
- That is an interesting guideline for total isolation. I will follow up with STB_MEDICINE.--TOstryzniuk 19:36, 2 February 2009 (CST)
  - according to the B5 staff when Gayle checked back in the fall, "the only patients that require gown, glove and mask are respiratory MRSA pts. TB are mask and glove only." (as entered by Debbie PN 3 Jan 2009)

I collect for medicine at HSC, and they have policies referring to different isolation techniques for infection control. TB isolation requires the use of mask only, MRSA, VRE, and C diff are contact, so glove and gown no mask. It is extremely rare to see the use of mask, glove, and gown used together. It is confusing, and because my understanding for the task elements for collection include the use of mask, glove,and gown together which aren't used much together. The question remains, if the Tasks are meant to show nursing workload, the use of gowns in the MRSA, and VRE rooms, and masks in TB rooms still add to the workload of the nursing staff, very time consuming to gown, and mask when entering the patient's room. Patient's are placed in rooms either single or doubled with like precaution techniques. I am not wanting to flog a dead horse, but if the goal is to capture nursing workload, I agree with Linda, that effectively capturing only those on total isolation excludes the workload with MRSA, VRE,and TB.--JHutton 09:23, 30 January 2009 (CST)
- I concur with Jo's point that collecting Isolation as this does not track nursing workload.--FLindell 12:52, 30 January 2009 (CST)