Reduction of Nosocomial Infection during Pediatric Intensive Care by Protective Isolation

To the Editor: The data presented by Klein et al. (June 29 issue)* are very impressive in documenting a decrease in the rate of infection and longer intervals before nosocomial colonization in patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) in whom mechanical ventilation was required and barrier precautions were used. Protective isolation involved the use of disposable, nonwoven, polypropylene gowns and nonsterile latex gloves. The gowns were chosen after independent testing in which the bacterial-filtration efficiency of different types of disposable gowns and gowns made of reusable cotton was compared. I question the need for the more expensive disposable . . .