Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 1 Patient has organisms cultured from tissue or fluid from affected site. 2 Patient has an abscess or other evidence of infection of affected site seen during a surgical operation or histopathologic examination. 3. Patient has 2 of the following signs or symptoms with no other recognized cause: fever (>38 o C), nausea, vomiting, pain, tenderness, or dysuria and at least 1 of the following: a. organisms cultured from blood b. physician diagnosis. SST-SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE INFECTION SKIN-Skin Skin infections must meet at least 1 of the following criteria: 1 Patient has purulent drainage, pustules, vesicles, or boils. 2 Patient has at least 2 of the following signs or symptoms with no other recognized cause: pain or tenderness, localized swelling, redness, or heat. ST-Soft tissue (necrotizing fascitis, infectious gangrene, necrotizing cellulitis, infectious myositis, lymphadenitis, or lymphangitis) Soft tissue infections must meet at least 1 of the following criteria: 1Patient has organisms cultured from tissue or drainage from affected site. 2Patient has purulent drainage at affected site. 3Patient has an abscess or other evidence of infection seen during a surgical operation or histopathologic examination. 4Patient has at least 2 of the following signs or symptoms at the affected site with no other recognized cause: localized pain or tenderness, redness, swelling, or heat. DECU-Decubitus ulcer, including both superficial and deep infections Decubitus ulcer infections must meet the following criterion: Patient has at least 2 of the following signs or symptoms with no other recognized cause: redness, tenderness, or swelling of decubitus wound edges and at least 1 of the following: a. organisms cultured from properly collected fluid or tissue (see Comments) b. organisms cultured from blood. Comments: Purulent drainage alone is not sufficient evidence of an infection. Organisms cultured from the surface of a decubitus ulcer are not sufficient evidence that the ulcer is infected. A properly collected specimen from a decubitus ulcer involves needle aspiration of fluid or biopsy of tissue from the ulcer margin. BURN-Burn Burn infections must meet at least 1 of the following criteria: 1. Patient has a change in burn wound appearance or character, such as rapid eschar separation, or dark brown, black, or violaceous discoloration of the eschar, or edema at wound margin and histologic examination of burn biopsy shows invasion of organisms into adjacent viable tissue. 2. Patient has a change in burn wound appearance or character, such as rapid eschar separation, or dark brown, black, or violaceous discoloration of the eschar, or edema at wound margin Home Health Agency Nursing Care & Procedures K-146