9.4.1.8: Records of Illness

In situations where illnesses are reported by a parent/guardian or become evident while a child or staff member is at the facility and may potentially require exclusion, the facility should record the following:

1. Date and time of the illness;
2. Person(s) affected;
3. Description of the symptoms;
4. Response of the staff to these symptoms;
5. Persons notified (such as a parent/guardian, primary care provider, or the local health department representative, if applicable), and their response;
6. Name of person completing the form.

RATIONALE

Recording the occurrence of illness in a facility and the response to the illness, as well as reviewing the daily patterns, characterizes and defines the frequency of the illness, suggests whether an outbreak has occurred, may suggest an effective intervention (improved sanitation and handwashing best practices initially), and provides documentation for administrative purposes.

COMMENTS

Surveillance for symptoms can be accomplished easily by using a combined attendance and symptom records. Any symptoms can be noted when the child is signed in and the daily health check is performed, with added notations made during the day when additional symptoms appear. Simple forms, for a weekly or monthly period, that record data for the entire group help caregivers/teachers spot patterns of illness for an individual child or among the children in the group or center.

TYPE OF FACILITY

Center, Early Head Start, Head Start, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care Home

RELATED STANDARDS

3.1.1.1 Conduct of Daily Health Check
3.6.1.1 Inclusion/Exclusion/Dismissal of Ill Children
9.4.1.2 Maintenance of Records
9.4.1.10 Documentation of Parent/Guardian Notification of Injury, Illness, or Death in Program
Appendix F: Enrollment/Attendance/Symptom Record