Evolution of the isolation of contagious diseases: knowledge in contemporary practice

Abstract

The identification of new infectious agents and the ever increasing expansion of known infections and diseases have been stimulating the revision of biosafety measures in the activities of professional health care workers. In the present article, the evolution of knowledge and practices of isolation and precautions were reviewed, which allowed us to recover the concepts and the interventions that were formulated and implemented. Since the beginning of the modern nursing, in the XIX century, the elements of the isolation practice for contagious diseases have remained basically the same. In other words, the emphasis on the use of mechanical, chemical and environmental barriers are given, based on inherent specificities of each part of the infectious chain process.