Infection Prevention For Chemotherapy

Overview

Chemotherapy puts patients at risk of picking up infections because it weakens the immune system. Therefore, precautions must be taken in order to protect these patients. First of all, avoid close contact with people with infections, for example, chickenpox and influenza. Next, keep your hands clean by washing them with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub. Besides that, stay away from overcrowded places, clean frequently touched surfaces, get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and learn to manage stress effectively. Also, patients who have undergone or are going for chemotherapy should get vaccinated for some common infections. Vaccinations recommended for these patients are influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine. These vaccines should be given 2 weeks before chemotherapy. Other than that, some patients may need a course of antibiotics to reduce their risk of picking up an infection.