Isolation: Contact Precautions Restrictive

The doctor has placed your child in isolation because of an infection that could spread to other patients in the hospital. To lower the risk of spreading the infection, we must limit your child’s contact with other patients.

Some types of germs (viruses and bacteria) can be spread through contact—by touching infected patients or by touching things that have germs on them. Your child must follow restrictive precautions.

Below are the steps you need to take:

Getting to the hospital

You will need your own private transport to and from the hospital. Do not use the St. Jude shuttle buses. If you do not have your own vehicle in Memphis, St. Jude will arrange a shuttle or taxi for you. Call 901-595-4501 to arrange your housing and transport needs.

Arriving at the hospital

• If you drive your car, park in any patient parking space near Chili’s Care Center.
• Enter through the Isolation Entrance. This entry is found to the left of Chili’s Care Center’s rotating entrance.
• Please let staff know that you are in isolation. A staff member will walk with you to your appointment.

Clean hands prevent spread of infection

The most important way to prevent the spread of infection is to clean your hands often. This means either washing well with soap and water or using alcohol gel.

For some infections, soap and water is the only way to remove certain germs. If your child has this type of infection, you might see a sign on the door that reads, “Cleaning hands with water and soap is required.”

Your child’s outpatient visit

If your child is an outpatient, you and your child will stay in an isolation room. Many services you need will come to that room.

• Personal protective equipment (PPE): You and your child may be asked to put on PPE if you go to other rooms for tests. PPE includes gowns, gloves, and face masks.
• Your child must stay in the room. No visits to common areas, waiting rooms, or public events.
• Your child will wear a purple armband. A purple isolation sign will be on the door. The sign will tell people what type of PPE to wear when in your child’s room.
• Staff and visitors must wear gown, gloves, and mask when entering room. Gowns and gloves are stored outside the room but are thrown away inside the room.
• Clean hands before entering and after leaving the isolation room. Also, clean hands before and after using gowns, masks, and gloves.

Your child’s inpatient stay

• Your child must stay in the room. No visits to common areas, waiting rooms, or public events.
• You and your family should limit your trips to other parts of the hospital to avoid spreading your child’s infection. Never enter other patient rooms or have close contact with other patients or their parents.
• Wear gloves when touching soiled items in your child’s room. This includes emptying bedpans, helping the patient to the toilet, handling urine or stool, or changing diapers. Wash your hands after removing gloves.
• Do not put food or drinks from your child’s room into refrigerators on the inpatient unit.
• If you bring food from outside the hospital, place it in the Family Lounge refrigerator first. Then, you can take portions to your child’s room. Once food enters a patient’s room, the uneaten part must be thrown away. It must not be placed back in the refrigerator.
• Please have hospital room service deliver your child’s food when possible. This will reduce the risk of infection. Food from room service comes on throwaway trays. Flush leftover liquids down the toilet.
• Limit the number of personal items in the room, so that staff can clean surfaces well.
• Bring only solid-surface toys into the isolation room. They must be cleaned before they leave the room.
• Place clothes in a personal belonging bag before removing them from the room. If possible, wash them in hot water with bleach.
• Anyone who is not a parent (caregiver) must wear the PPE that is posted on the door. Because parents are in close contact with the child for extended periods, they do not have to wear PPE while in the patient’s room. But, sometimes parents must wear facemasks in the patient’s room for their own protection. For some types of isolation, visitors and siblings are not allowed in the patient room.
• During transport within the hospital, the patient must wear a clean gown. Staff must wear gloves and a gown to transport the child to other locations in the hospital. Parents and caregivers must wear gloves and a gown only if they carry the patient during hospital transport.

Your child's stay in housing

Sometimes, you can stay in the same St. Jude housing if your child is on isolation precautions. Other times, you may need to move to lower the risk of spreading infection.

• Tri Delta Place and Target House: Usually you and your child can stay in a room or suite at Tri Delta Place with a door that opens to the inside of the building. Or you might stay in an apartment at Target House. This depends on the type of infection your child has. If your child needs a room with an outside door and one is not available, you might be placed in a hotel.
• Ronald McDonald House: If you are staying in an apartment, you will continue to stay there. If you are in a room, you will move to Tri Delta Place or Target House if possible. Please do not use the shared kitchen at Ronald McDonald House while your child is in isolation.
• Your child must stay in the room.
• Avoid common areas. You and other family members may leave your St. Jude room if needed. But your child must not go to any common areas. If your child does go into common areas during restrictive isolation, we may ask you to leave St. Jude housing and stay somewhere else.
• Do not touch surfaces. When going to and from the room, your child should not touch any surfaces, including walls or counters.
• Do not ride in an elevator with other patients or families.
• Do not ride in vehicles with other patients or families.