Clinical staff will begin to see a new isolation sign on the patient care units. The new sign is Enteric Contact Precautions and is being used for patients who have active infection with C. difficile, rotavirus, or norovirus.
The sign helps remind staff that soap and water hand washing must be performed instead of using an alcohol-based hand rub. Alcohol is not effective in removing these pathogens from the hands. For more information on Enteric Contact isolation as well as management of other infectious diseases please refer to the Isolation Precautions policy on the hospital intranet at: http://intranet.unchealthcare.org/hospitaldepartments/infection/policies/isoltion.pdf. To see a PDF of the new sign, click here.