31. Communicable Disease Control Flashcards
Precautions
~ many common infections encountered in child care programs are transmitted by direct or indirect contact through one of the three common modes of transmission of microorganisms: contact, droplet, and airborne
~ child care facilities shall develop a written plan regarding safety precautions, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to follow in the event of exposure to blood and potentially infectious fluids
~ programs are required to educate their personnel regarding standard precautions before beginning to work and annually thereafter
~ documentation of this training must be retained for 12 months.
Communicable Disease Control
~ children in care must be observed daily for signs of communicable disease
~ if signs of a communicable disease are found, the child’s parent or guardian must be contacted for the child to be removed from the program
~ any child, child care personnel, or other person in the child care program suspected of having a communicable disease must be removed from the program or placed in an isolation area until removed
~ the person may not return without medical authorization or until all signs and symptoms of the disease are no longer present
~ if the person is contributing to the transmission of the illness, they cannot return until the health department or primary health care provider determines there is no longer a risk of transmission
~ child care personnel who work in the food preparation area may not return until the signs and symptoms of the disease have not been present for 48 hours
~ if the child’s symptoms do not require exclusion, then notification at the end of the day is acceptable
Isolation Area
~ each child care program must have a designated isolation area for a child who becomes ill while in care
~ the space should be well-ventilated, have an adequate temperature, and be equipped with a bed, mat, or cot, and materials that can be cleaned and sanitized or disinfected easily
~ linens are to be changed after each use and used linens should be kept in a closed container until the area is cleaned
~ disposable items must be kept in a closed container until thrown away
~ the child must be within sight and hearing of a staff person at all times and carefully observed for worsening symptoms
