What term describes the isolation technique used to protect patients from infections, allowing only essential healthcare personnel in?

Protective isolation refers specifically to measures taken to safeguard patients who are particularly vulnerable to infections, such as those with weakened immune systems. This isolation technique restricts access to only essential healthcare personnel to minimize exposure to pathogens. It is designed to prevent healthcare-associated infections by controlling the environment and limiting contact with individuals who may carry infectious agents.

In contrast, reverse isolation, which is often used in similar contexts, emphasizes the protection of a patient by minimizing their exposure to pathogens from the environment or other people. While both terms are related to patient protection, protective isolation is more focused on the enhancement of the environment to protect patients from external infections.

Standard precautions and universal precautions are broader terms that refer to the basic infection control practices used with all patients, regardless of their infection status. They focus on preventing the spread of infection but do not specifically address the isolation of vulnerable patients in the same way that protective isolation does.