H1N1 call brings up hospital access control, sick employees

I listened in on a CMS open forum conference call this afternoon about H1N1 preparedness in healthcare facilities, and the topic of infection control in hospitals came up.

A CDC representative noted that within the agency’s interim recommendations for infection control of H1N1 patients, certain provisions have taken the spotlight, such as use of N95 respirators and isolation precautions. However, there are other key points in the recommendations that are worth reading, the representative said:

• Access control into the facility — The CDC recommends hospitals post signs at entry points instructing patients and visitors to notify staff members if they have  flu symptoms. Limiting points of entry into the building is also suggested in communities where outbreaks are occurring.
• Management of ill healthcare workers — The CDC recommends that in communities with H1N1 outbreaks, healthcare workers who become ill with the flu remain away from work for seven days or until the symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer.

Revised H1N1 infection control recommendations are expected from the CDC within a couple of weeks.