High-Level Contact Precautions

Important information:

High-level contact precautions are safety measures to help prevent the spread of germs between patients. They are used for patients colonized or infected with bacteria (germs) that are resistant to certain antibiotics. These germs spread to others by contact with a patient's skin or contaminated surfaces. These germs are more difficult to treat if an infection develops. For that reason, special precautions are taken to prevent the germs from spreading.

How can I help to prevent the spread of these germs?

It is very important to clean your hands properly. Hand washing, or using an alcohol hand rub, before and after all contact with your child and anything in your child’s environment will help prevent the spread of germs.

What type of special precautions will be used?

There will be a sign on the door of your child’s room to make staff and visitors aware of these precautions.

Staff will wear gowns and gloves when caring for your child. Upon leaving, the staff will remove their gowns and discard them. They will remove their gloves and wash their hands or use alcohol hand rub to clean their hands. Please feel free to remind staff to clean their hands before and after patient contact.

Can we leave the room?

Your child may not leave the room except for tests and procedures. If your child needs to leave the room for a test, they must wash their hands for at least 15 seconds with soap and water or use an alcohol hand rub. The hand rub must cover all surfaces of the hands and fully dry. We need to keep the germs from spreading, so your child is not allowed to go to the playroom or other common areas like the kitchen.

Children younger than 14 years old who are visiting patients on isolation precautions must stay in the patient’s room and may not go to the playroom, family rooms or bridge area. Family members and visitors 14 years and older of patients on isolation precautions may go to the kitchen after washing their hands or using an alcohol-based hand rub. Visitors, including parents and guardians, may not visit other patient’s rooms or bedsides.

For questions or concerns, contact a member of your child’s healthcare team.

Reviewed May 2024 by Maureen Mccloskey, RN, CIC, Lindsay Brim, CIC