Emergency Preparedness

Kern Medical Bioterrorism Response Guide Section 2A – STANDARD AND CONTACT PRECAUTIONS

Place soiled linen in leak-proof bags and seal. Transport and process according to facility procedure. Patient’s Clothing Bag patient’s clothing if visibly soiled with blood or body fluids and send home with a family member with instructions to use warm water and a commercial laundry product. If no family member is available, follow the facility procedure for washing and drying patient’s clothes. Before washing or sending the patient's clothes home, determine whether the FBI wants to retain the clothes as evidence. Biohazard waste Follow facility specific biohazard waste management procedures. Deceased Patient Place the deceased patient in a leak-proof body bag and transfer to the facility morgue CONTACT PRECAUTIONS Cutaneous anthrax and tularemia can be transmitted to healthcare workers by contact with the infected patient’s wound or lesion drainage. In addition to Standard Precautions, Contact Precautions should be followed. Patient Placement Place patients with open draining lesions in a private room, if available. Patients with the same diagnosis may be cohorted (grouped) in semi-private rooms. When a private room or cohorting is not achievable, separate infected patients at least three (3) feet away from non-infected patients. Visitors Limit visitors to immediate family members or significant others. Instruct visitors to wash their hands their hands before and after patient contact and before leaving the patient’s room.

7