title: Patient management.
abstract: Hospital-associated infections, including those caused by zoonotic agents, represent an increasing concern in veterinary practice. Veterinarians and hospital staff are obligated and expected to provide education about and protection from transmission of pathogens among animal patients and between animal patients and human beings (eg, veterinary staff, volunteers, owners) who come into contact with infected animals. Patient management involves assessing risks of pathogen transmission, identification of animals either suspected of or proved to be infected with a transmissible infectious disease agent, and the implementation of measures that minimize the likelihood of transmission of the infectious agent.
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. Electronic address: guptillc@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guptill
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D017053:Infection Control; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Barrier nursing; Infection control; Isolation; Patient management; Risk assessment