publications – hygiene in practice

Dec 16, 2020

News Chronic wounds: infection management in an outpatient setting

Antimicrobial dressings are key in the highly complex treatment of patients with infected, chronic wounds. Following a treatment pathway that involves treating the underlying disease, applying these dressings on a clean wound when changing the dressing might help prevent and manage local wound infections. Their use also follows scientific and political efforts aiming at restricting the use of antibiotics. Especially in outpatient care, dressings with antimicrobial action in infected wounds and wounds at risk are of great advantage.

Oct 08, 2020

News Pressure ulcers: new international guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for healthcare professionals

Pressure ulcers represent a growing medical and financial burden to society. Even though several preventive and therapeutic approaches are available, their treatment remains difficult and time-consuming. The 2019 Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Clinical Practice Guideline gives healthcare providers and wound specialists evidence-based recommendations for improving the management of patients with pressure ulcers.

Jul 14, 2020

News Home health care in the time of COVID-19: How to transfer knowledge using digital formats like podcasts

COVID-19 has unsettled many patients. They are currently shielding and do not want to attend a clinic or a doctor's practice, with others being afraid of letting nursing staff into their own homes. In these stressful times, medical staff can continue to help patients with chronic wounds by taking control of their condition. Podcasts might help patients and healthcare professionals to empower those living with a chronic wound by getting them prepared for wound management.

Jun 19, 2020

Study Within the hospital: Which surfaces may be contaminated with SARS-CoV-2?

During the peak phase of the coronavirus epidemic in China, scientists in a 3,300-bed hospital in Wuhan investigated the surfaces and objects on which the novel SARS-CoV-2 can be found. Researchers took surface swabs in different risk zones and evaluated the distribution of the contamination in percentage terms. The investigations took place at a time when extensive disinfection measures had already been installed and the personnel were also already aware of the risk of transmission.

May 28, 2020

News Phage therapy: Using predator viruses to destroy multidrug resistant bacteria

The number of patients killed by multiple drug resistant (MDR) bacteria is rising every year as antibiotics are losing their effectiveness. Phages - which were used before the advent of antibiotics and then forgotten in the Western world for almost a century - are rapidly becoming one of the most promising alternatives to antibiotics.

Apr 07, 2020

News Study of intensive care units: Hand hygiene also important for patients

Hand hygiene can save lives. What is second nature for medical staff today could one day also become a habit for patients and their relatives – because clean, germ-free hands can prevent nosocomial infections. Researchers in the US have examined the hands of intensive care patients for relevant pathogens. Among the pathogens detected, several multi-resistant organisms were identified.

Mar 27, 2020

News Alcohol-based hand disinfection and alcohols successfully inactivate SARS-CoV-2

An international team of researchers pre-published evidence which shows for the first time that two alcohol-based hand disinfectants recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) – as well as the active ingredients ethanol and 2-propanol alone – are effective against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The experts are creating security for healthcare systems worldwide, because their experiments show that alcohol-based hand disinfection is an effective infection protection measure against COVID-19.

Jan 30, 2020

News Social and communicative: Myxococcus xanthus is 2020's microbe of the year

They communicate with each other, rotate in groups and hunt in packs. This description sounds like large predators such as lions or wolves but it's actually referring to 2020's microbe of the year: the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. This annual 'award' is selected by the Association for Germany's General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM), with about 3,500 member microbiologists.

Jan 14, 2020

News Using sniffer dogs to detect C. difficile in hospitals

With their keen sense of smell, scent detection dogs are hunting down the bacterium Clostridioides difficile in hospitals. But how accurate are four-legged infection prevention and diagnostics? Recent studies investigate how well canines perform.

Dec 17, 2019

News Infection control at Christmas: Have a Hygienic Holiday

“Deck the halls with rows of trolleys” is just one headline of many reports with the same conclusion: Emergency departments world-wide are busiest over long holidays. Anecdotally, the theories as to why include over-indulgences, crowded celebrations leading to germ-sharing or the merger of cold weather and the flu season. As another major holiday period approaches, both medical practitioners and patients should think about prevention: What is it they can do to avoid, or lessen the effects of, holiday-time illnesses? What are effective measures for infection control at Christmas? Here are our four ideas for the holiday season:

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