The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of surgical hand rubbing (SHR) with the efficacy of surgical hand scrubbing (SHS), and to determine the costs of both techniques for surgical hand disinfection. A review of studies reported in the literature that compared the efficacy of SHS and SHR was performed using MEDLINE. The costs of SHR and SHS were estimated based on standard hospital c...

INTRODUCTION Various different learning methods are available for planning tuition regarding the introduction to surgical hand disinfection. These learning methods should help to organise and deal with this topic. The use of a video film is an alternative to conventional tuition due to the real presentation possibilities of practical demonstration. OBJECTIVE This study examines by way of comp...

The authors review the main concepts regarding the importance of cleaning/disinfection of ultrasonography probes, aiming a better comprehension by practitioners and thus enabling strategies to establish a safe practice without compromising the quality of the examination and the operator productivity. In the context of biosafety, it is imperative to assume that contact with blood or body fluids ...

A significant number of hospital-acquired infections occur due to inefficient disinfection of hospital surfaces, instruments and rooms. The emergence and wide spread of multiresistant forms of several microorganisms has led to a situation where few compounds are able to inhibit or kill the infectious agents. Several strategies to disinfect both clinical equipment and the environment are availab...

Much cross-infection can be prevented by using chemical disinfectants to reduce the numbers of pathogens in sources such as superficial lesions and carrier sites, and by interrupting routes of spread. Examples are given to show the value of using disinfectants in the light of epidemiological knowledge.

Background. Adherence to hygiene guidelines is of utmost importance for healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge on and the adherence to hygiene guidelines among medical students in Austria. Additionally, a possible difference between female and male students was investigated. Methods. An open paper-based survey among third-year medical students at the Medic...

A cheap method by which hospital blankets may be effectively disinfected (approximately 3d. per blanket) is described. A recommendation is made that blankets from the patients' beds be divided into: ;socially dirty' blankets to be laundered, possibly at infrequent intervals; and ;socially clean' blankets to be disinfected frequently. The wide range of a synthetic phenolic compound is described....

BACKGROUND: The current standards for chlorine and monochloramine disinfection of drinking water were established using information obtained from bench-scale disinfection experiments of monodispersed hepatitis A virus. It is not clear whether these standards are sufficient for the four virus types listed on the CCL2. Several disinfection studies have been conducted on representative coxsackievi...