Introduction
This topic covers the special hygienic requirements to hospitals (clinics) with high epidemiological risk: children's hospitals and psychiatric hospitals. In both, the requirements come from the characteristics of the patients; the main issue is the significant epidemiological risk.
Children's (pediatric) hospital
Children have a not well-developed immune system, so special attention is given to the building, the layout and the separation of patients.
- Most of the rooms must be with one bed, because the immune system is not yet developed.
- Separation of patients in respect to age, localization of disease and severity of disease.
- Children of about 2 years (up to 2 years of age) should be in boxes (isolation rooms).
- Mothers of the children must be in separate rooms.
- In children's hospitals for treatment of chronic diseases: school rooms (own classrooms).
- Reasons: children are very susceptible to droplet and contact infections, including measles, chickenpox, rotavirus and respiratory viruses, and cross-infection spreads quickly on shared wards; separate rooms and boxes limit it.
- Further usual requirements: isolation of children with infectious disease, a filter or reception box for admission, easily washable surfaces, and play areas that can be cleaned.