How to prevent infection
Cancer patients are more likely to get infections because of their illnesses and the treatments they
receive. Your child’s disease or its treatments may weaken his or her immune system. A common
infection, like a cold, that would be mild in a healthy child can become serious in a child with a weak
immune system. At times during your child’s treatment, he or she might not be able to fight infections
well and may become ill as a result.
No one thing that hospital staff or parents do can prevent infection at all times. Sometimes your
child will become ill even when every guideline is followed. It is important that we work together to
limit your child’s exposure to the causes of infection. The hospital’s infection control guidelines and
visiting guidelines offer many options for helping prevent infection. While you are at the hospital these
guidelines help ensure the health of your child and every other patient.
Infection control guidelines
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Cleaning your hands is the most important thing you can do to limit or prevent infection. Clean
your hands before eating, after using the bathroom and after touching any item that could have a
large number of germs on it. You can clean your hands with soap and water or with an alcoholbased hand cleaner. See “GREAT information ... Clean hands” for details.
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Learn what your child’s blood counts mean. Blood counts can tell you when it is safe for your
child to have chemotherapy and when extra care is needed to prevent infections. (See Tests and
Procedures section on this Web site for information on blood counts and the fact sheet “GREAT
information… Calculating the ANC.”)
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Good oral care is essential; your child should brush his or her teeth after eating and before
bedtime. This can help prevent an infection called thrush (caused by a fungus called Candida)
from developing in the mouth. (See “GREAT information ... About Candida fungal infections.”) If
your child cannot brush, see “GREAT information ... Mouth Care.”
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If you become sick, the illness may be spread to your child. Ask your doctor or nurse what steps
you can take to protect your child. Most of these illnesses are spread by hands. Clean your hands
often with soap and water or an alcohol-based cleaner.
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Avoid people who are ill, especially children with chicken pox (varicella) or the flu.
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If your child has a rash or has been around anyone with chicken pox (varicella), shingles or
measles, his or her condition needs to be checked before coming near other patients. Please call
your child’s nurse coordinator to find out what you should do before coming to the hospital or
clinic.
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Stay away from large crowds of people until your child’s blood counts have recovered.
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Avoid swimming pools or swimming areas, unless your child’s doctor gives permission.
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Stay away from animals that are not pets. Avoid pets that are unhealthy, have not had their shots or
have not been wormed regularly.
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Continued
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When your child’s immune system is weak, it is important to keep the area around him or her as
clean as possible because dust and dirt contain fungus like Aspergillus. (See “GREAT information
... About Aspergillus fungal infections.”)
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Understand and follow the hospital’s visiting guidelines. The guidelines are in place for the safety
of all hospital patients and to help limit your child’s exposure to germs that cause infection.
Immunizations
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Your child should not receive “live” vaccines, such as those for smallpox, measles, mumps or varicella (chicken pox) unless approved by your doctor. Your child should stay away from anyone who
has received the smallpox vaccine within the past four weeks. Your child should stay away from
anyone who has a rash after receiving the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine or has skin
lesions after receiving the measles or varicella vaccine.
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Your child may receive polio shots, if your doctor approves it. He or she should not take the oral
polio vaccine (given by mouth). Your child should stay away from children who have received
polio vaccine by mouth within the last four weeks.
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DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), hepatitis B, Hib (“H-flu”) and flu vaccines may be given
on the usual schedule.
When your child is in the hospital
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Clean your hands well, before you enter and after you leave your child’s room; all visitors should
do the same. Use either soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
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The air in the hospital is filtered to keep it as clean as possible. In the inpatient rooms, the beds are
positioned to provide patients with the most filtered air. Please do not move your child’s bed.
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Each patient room is cleaned daily. When the housekeeper comes to clean your child’s room,
please do not ask that person to come back later unless it is very important for you to be alone with
your child at that moment. The room needs to be cleaned on a regular schedule.
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Please help keep your child’s room free of clutter so the housekeeper can clean the room properly.
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Cleaning is more effective if the surfaces are clear of personal items and toys.
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When the housekeeper mops, all parents and visitors should step outside the room. Once the floor
is dry, they can return to the room.
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Stored supplies collect dust, which can lead to infections. Please keep only the items you will use
right away in your child’s room. Other items can be kept in the adjoining parent room and cleaned
before they enter your child’s room.
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Shoes should be worn by parents, family members and visitors at all times, inside and outside the
patient room.
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Continued
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Patients should not sit or play on the bare floor. Your child should wear slippers or shoes when out
of bed.
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No live flowers, plants or standing water are allowed in patient rooms because of the bacteria and
fungus that grow in them.
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Parents and visitors should not sit or sleep on the patient’s bed. It is important to keep the number
of germs low in the area where your child sleeps, especially around his or her face.
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Bathrooms and bedside commodes are for patient use only. Everyone else should use the
bathrooms outside the patient room.
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Only smooth-surfaced and easy-to-wash toys are allowed in patient rooms. If your child needs a
personal blanket or cloth toy for comfort, please discuss this need with the doctor. If the doctor
allows the toy or blanket, it must be washed before bringing it to the hospital and when returning
home. Wash the toy or blanket more often, if you can.
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Any personal items that fall on the floor need to be cleaned before using them again.
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Separate bins are provided for dirty linen and trash. Please help us keep these items separated.
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You may eat your meals with your child, but any leftover food must be thrown out after one (1)
hour in a patient room. After that amount of time, bacteria, which may be harmful to your child,
can grow on food at room temperature.
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Food cannot be stored in patient rooms. Food attracts insects that can transmit diseases.
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Food prepared outside the hospital and brought to your child’s room should be stored in the
refrigerator offered on each floor. Write your child’s name and the current date on each food
container. Unused food will be removed every three days or right away if spoiled. You will be
given instructions about whether your child is on a special diet or is allowed to eat foods prepared
outside the hospital.
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Water and other drinks that are sitting in a cup should not be left in a patient’s room for longer than
one (1) hour. Bacteria can begin to grow in room-temperature liquid after this amount of time. The
ice water provided in the bedside pitcher is safe because it is cold.
If you have further questions about protecting your child from infections, talk to his or her doctor or
nurse.
Adapted with permission from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Revised 8/04
UC Davis Cancer Center 12/06
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