Abstract Aim. To find out the level of theoretical knowledge nurses working in internal medicine and surgical wards about hygienic hand disinfection to evaluate its application during work performance. Material methods. A questionnaire was conducted, supplemented by observations with records observation sheets. The group respondents consisted 60 wards. Results. a selected sample reaches an aver...

Irritant contact dermatitis is often found on the hands of healthcare workers and is generally caused by frequent hand washing, gloves, aggressive disinfectants or detergents. Alcohols have only a marginal irritation potential, although they may cause a burning sensation on pre-irritated skin. A burning sensation when using alcohols therefore, suggests that the skin barrier is already damaged. ...

BACKGROUND Appropriate hand hygiene among health care workers is the most important infection prevention measure; however, compliance is generally low. Gain-framed messages (ie, messages that emphasize the benefits of hand hygiene rather than the risks of noncompliance) may be most effective, but have not been tested. METHODS The study was conducted in a 27-bed neonatal intensive care unit. W...

Virtually no prevention strategy in hospital hygiene has been the focus of such frequent controversial discussions as the role of surface disinfection. Set against that background, the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention at the Robert Koch Institute founded a working group comprising members with divergent views of risk evaluation as regards the role of disinfection. This w...

Using two studies of a simple design it has been possible to furnish proof of the influence of hand hygiene prior to insertion of peripheral venous catheters on the incidence of complications. In the first study detailed data were collected anonymously for each patient on the procedure used for catheter insertion or on any complications. Data were collected for around 64% of patients in one hos...

Hand washing is considered the single most important intervention for prevention of nosocomial infections in patients and health care workers. Unfortunately, compliance with standard protocols for hand hygiene in the health care environment, and especially within intensive care areas such as operating rooms and post-anesthesia care units, has been generally poor. In this article, we consider th...

Since the times of Semmelweis, life-threatening hospital acquired infections have been transmitted on the hands of hospital personnel. For several years Semmel-weis desperately tried to convince the colleagues in his gynecological department to wash and disinfect their hands. Most of the professors of surgery and gynecology in Vienna and other medical centers in Europe considered him a fool. Th...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this work was to study usage of antibiotics, its possible determinants, and patterns of bacterial resistance in Swedish intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS Prospectively collected data on species and antibiotic resistance of clinical isolates and antibiotic consumption specific to each ICU in 1999 were analyzed together with answers to a questionnaire. Antibiotic us...