Nosocomial infections represent the most frequent adverse event for patients during hospital stays, and they threaten the quality of patient care. Removing pathogens from inanimate surfaces could be a useful and helpful complement to conventional hygiene measures.
How can hand hygiene compliance in hospitals be increased? This is one question that Simone Scheithauer addresses in her studies. Scheithauer is head of the Institute for Hospital Hygiene and Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital Göttingen, Germany. In the interview, she reveals reasons for poor compliance, along with effective approaches for better hand hygiene.
Chronic wounds cause pain and misery to millions of people around the world. Removing slough and biofilm through professional debridement is crucial for managing infected wounds and promoting healing. The monofilament device offers a very effective method for debridement and brings welcome pain relief to patients.
When wounds fail to close, medical assistance is needed. Here, measures to prevent biofilms from forming in the wound play a decisive role. Bacteria can lead to delayed wound healing – and this occurs much more frequently than previously assumed.
Bacteria and other pathogens have increasingly developed resistance to antimicrobials. Dr Lauri Hicks from the CDC has dedicated her career to improving antibiotic use. She explains why stewardship is so critical. Learn more about setting up such a programme.
Every medical procedure is accompanied by a risk of infection. Preventive measures in particular are key to avoiding postoperative wound infections. Since 1983, health authorities have published recommendations with behavioural guidelines, for example, what steps are important and when they should be taken.
Experts are currently discussing what amount of hand disinfectant should be used, and how long it should be left on for hygienic hand disinfection. According to a new study, the length of time the disinfectant is rubbed in determines its effectiveness. The size of the hands, or the amount used, however, are less significant.
Hand hygiene is still not sufficiently and consistently implemented. One possible reason is that medical personnel do not seem to be aware of how often they touch patients, and the surfaces inside and outside of the patient's environment. Such contacts can transmit microorganisms and create potential risks of infection.
