Pre‐procedure

ActionRationale

1. 1.Show
   Identify the most suitable room available for source isolation, taking into account the risk to other patients and staff and the patient's other nursing needs.
   To ensure the best balance between minimizing the risk of cross‐infection and maintaining the safety and comfort of the isolated patient. E

Procedure

1. 2.Show
   Remove all non‐essential furniture and equipment from the room. The remaining furniture should be easy to clean. Ensure that the room is stocked with any equipment required for patient care and sufficient but not excessive numbers of any disposable items that will be required.
   To ensure the availability of everything required for patient care while minimizing the number of items that will require cleaning or disposal at the end of the isolation period and the amount of traffic of people and equipment into and out of the room. E
2. 3.Show
   Ensure that a bin with a hazardous waste bag is present in the room. This will be used for clinical waste generated in the room. The bag must be sealed before it is removed from the room. Depending on the infection, it may be possible to have a general waste bag as well for non‐infected items.
   To contain contaminated rubbish within the room and minimize further spread of infection. E
3. 4.Show
   Place a container for sharps in the room.
   To contain contaminated sharps within the infected area (DH [25], C).
4. 5.Show
   Keep the patient's personal property to a minimum. All belongings taken into the room should be washable, cleanable or disposable. Contact the infection prevention and control team for advice as to how best to clean or wash specific items.
   The patient's belongings may become contaminated and cannot be taken home unless they are washable or cleanable. E
5. 6.Show
   Ensure that all personal protective equipment (PPE) required is available outside the room. Wall‐mounted dispensers offer the best use of space and ease of use but, if necessary, set up a trolley outside the door or in the ante room for PPE and alcohol‐based handrub. Ensure that these arrangements do not cause an obstruction or other hazard.
   To have PPE readily available when required. E
6. 7.Show
   Introduce yourself to the patient, explain the reason for isolation and the precise precautions, and provide relevant patient information material where available. Allow the patient to ask questions and ask for a member of the infection prevention and control team to visit the patient if ward staff cannot answer all questions to the patient's satisfaction. The patient's family and other visitors may require an explanation but any explanations given must respect patient confidentiality.
   Patients and their visitors may be more compliant if they understand the reasons for isolation, and the patient's anxiety may be reduced if they have as much information as possible about their condition. E
7. 8.Show
   Fix a suitable notice outside the room where it will be seen by anyone attempting to enter. This should indicate the special precautions required while preserving the patient's confidentiality.
   To ensure all staff and visitors are aware of the need for additional infection control precautions. E
8. 9.Show
   Move the patient into the single‐occupancy room.
   For effective isolation. E
9. 10.Show
   Arrange for terminal cleaning of the bed space that the patient has been occupying.
   To remove any infectious agents that may pose a risk to the next patient to occupy that bed (NPSA [88], C; Otter et al. [91], C; Passaretti et al. [92], R).

Post‐procedure

1. 11.Show
   Assess the patient daily to determine whether source isolation is still required; for example, if enteric precautions have been required, has the patient been without symptoms for 48 hours?
   There is often limited availability of isolation rooms (Wigglesworth and Wilcox [128], R) so they must be used as effectively as possible. E