Flowers, balloons, stuffed animals are among the get-well gifts that are no longer welcome in many hospitals working to reduce the risks of infection and allergic reactions, according to an article on the Wall Street Journal website.
Most intensive-care units have been no-flower/balloon zones for awhile. Now, some are extending limitations to cardiac-care, pediatrics, labor and delivery units.
Yet evidence linking flowers and plants to outbreaks of infection or illness in individual patients is minimal, infectious-disease experts say.
“This is one of the issues where there’s a paucity of evidence, and when that happens in infection control, one of our goals is always to keep the patient safe,” says Susan Dolan, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
IAQ and Infection Mitigation: Plans Into Actions
Case Study: How NYU Langone Rebuilt for Resilience After Superstorm Sandy
Dayton Children's Hospital Announces New Rehabilitative Services Building
The Debate on Laundering Microfibers in Healthcare
Construction Begins for New Cancer Center at OhioHealth's Administrative Campus