protection – L&R Prevent and Protect

Hand hygiene

It’s in your hands: The urgent importance of hand hygiene

Few people have recognised the medical necessity of hand hygiene the way Professor Didier Pittet has for more than a quarter-century. Pittet serves as the director of the Infection Control Programme at the University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine and World Health Organization (WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety); in addition, he is the lead adviser of the WHO’s First Global Patient Safety Challenge: Clean Care is Safer Care. As a global authority in role of healthcare-associated infections (HAI), he gives us an overview of how hand hygiene makes a life-saving difference.

Best practice

Norovirus in nursing homes: “Raise awareness of effective hygiene measures”

Every year, noroviruses pose considerable challenges to the staff of medical and long-term care facilities, particularly in the months from October to April. Statistics from reporting systems show that children under the age of five and adults over the age of 70 are the most affected. Olaf Stolz is a freelance hygiene specialist and advises care facilities and nursing homes, among others, on hygiene issues. We spoke with him about difficulties as well as solutions when dealing with noroviruses in nursing homes.

Best practice

Surveillance of intensive care units: a priority for reducing healthcare associated infections

Impaired immune defences, invasive procedures and low compliance to infection prevention measures favour the transmission of pathogens in intensive care units (ICUs). The implementation of surveillance systems helps in identifying possible problems and developing solutions for improving hygiene practice in ICUs.

OR products

Disposable draping materials: Reducing the contamination of surgical wounds

Surgical drapes isolate the surgical site from non-sterile areas of the patient’s body and the operating table. They reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSI). Optimising their barrier function can help to prevent microbial contamination and to improve patients’ safety.

Best practice, Hand hygiene

“Hand hygiene is always good news for your patients”

Do good and talk about it: In her “Hygiene Communication Concept”, Claudia James, hygiene-specialist and managing director at HyTrain GmbH, explains how communication can improve hand hygiene compliance of physicians and nursing staff. By voicing hand disinfection staff shapes own hygiene behaviour and at the same time gives patients valuable insights into possibilities to participate in their own healing process. In our interview, the expert describes the background to her findings and gives specific instructions for putting these into practice.

Basic hygiene, Hand hygiene

Professor Didier Pittet:
The right to hand hygiene

Professor Didier Pittet serves as the director of the Infection Control Programme at the University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine. He was also the lead adviser of World Health Organization’s First Global Patient Safety Challenge: Clean Care is Safer Care.

Best practice, Hand hygiene

Hand hygiene: How standardised processes increase compliance

Hand hygiene is widely recognised as the single most effective means of reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAI), such as surgical site infections. Implementing standardised hand disinfection processes in healthcare facilities and maintaining high compliance among healthcare professionals are needed to protect staff and patients from infections.

OR products, Best practice

For effective infection prevention, patients and medical staff need to work together

More than 500 papers authored, more than 300 book contributions and currently 54 patents – these figures represent the research spirit of Prof Axel Kramer. Managing Director of the University of Greifswald Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, this specialist in hygiene and environmental medicine has been campaigning for years to reduce infection rates following surgery. But how can this be achieved? Professor Kramer has practical ideas.