What does patient cohorting mean in infection control?

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Cohorting in infection control means grouping patients who have the same infection together in the same area so that care can be delivered with targeted precautions, while keeping them separate from uninfected patients. This approach helps contain transmission by limiting the number of people and areas exposed to the contagion and by allowing staff to use dedicated equipment and practices for that group, which is especially helpful when isolation resources are limited or during outbreaks. It differs from isolating every patient individually, which would require many rooms and more resources; relocating patients randomly would disrupt care and risk spreading infections, and delaying care to match staffing is unsafe and unethical.