Neutropenic patients in semi-privates

[Swellz]

My current travel assignment is at a facility that doesn't routinely isolate neutropenic patients. The floor is usually full or close to full and the majority of the beds are in semis, so if they did isolate they would have a real problem with beds. I've just never seen this before. They also split the assignment so you never have both sides of a semi-private, so I don't know what if any consideration is put in to what two patients are put together. Obviously patients are isolated for the usual suspects (MRSA, cdiff, etc).

Have any of you come across this?

[jbluehorseh]

This not a good idea because there is too high of risk of your patient getting a infection. the sources are many.

[Swellz]

Yes, I'm aware. I was asking if others have come across this. Thanks.

[np830]

I have come across this, and you're correct, it's not ideal. Good infection prevention practices and surveillance of fever/illness is key.

[OncologyCat, BSN, RN]

In our facility, neutropenic patients will be placed in a private room. We have our own “neutropenic precautions” so once the pt’s ANC drops below 500 they will be treated as a “precaution” pt (like a contact or droplet precaution pt), meaning private room only. If the neutropenic pt happens to be in a semi-private, we will make arrangement with bed placement in the hospital and change rooms accordingly.