10.1017/S0195941700058690

Abstract

In the United States, about 5 million persons work in more than 7,000 hospitals. These personnel may become infected through exposure to infected patients if proper precautions are not used, or acquire infection outside the hospital. They may then transmit the infection to susceptible patients or other hospital personnel, members of their households, or other community contacts. In this guideline, we focus on diseases that are of particular concern to hospital personnel because of the possibility of transmission. In some instances we focus our discussion on transmission of infectious disease from patient-care personnel to patients. In other instances we focus on transmission of disease from patients to patient-care personnel. Recommendations for prevention and control are limited to these areas. We frequently refer to the Guideline for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals, where suggestions can be found on precautions that personnel may use when taking care of patients to prevent the spread of infection to themselves, other personnel or patients, and visitors.Personnel who have direct contact with patients include nursing personnel, medical house staff, clinical faculty, attending physicians, paramedical staff, and nursing and medical students. Since other hospital personnel may have exposure to patients that is comparable in quality, intensity, and duration to that of patient-care personnel, hospitals may also consider them in applying these recommendations. Risk to patients from personnel with whom patients have only brief casual contact, or risk to these personnel, is generally felt to be low.