Isolation in the Conventional Hospital Setting

Isolation is a fundamental principle of routine infection control practice that is utilized with the intent of preventing the spread of infection in health care settings. Isolation of patients with confirmed or suspected infectious diseases provides a method to reduce or prevent exposure to infectious agents among patients, health care workers, and others in the health care environment. Isolation procedures are separated into standard precautions, which apply to all patients, and transmission-based precautions, which apply to patients infected or colonized with certain pathogens. Although the general principles of standard precautions should be applied to patients in all settings, transmission-based isolation