protection – L&R Prevent and Protect

Product solutions, Disinfection

“When using disinfectants, everyone benefits from better compliance”

Hand hygiene and surface disinfection are effective measures for reducing or preventing nosocomial infections and outbreaks. These practices could also reduce the use of antibiotics, which is why many players are driving innovation in the area of surface disinfectants and hand disinfection products. Few people have a deeper understanding of the sector than Dr Roland Knieler, Managing Director of Knieler & Team. Here, the chemist and disinfectant expert discusses recent innovations in the area of disinfection, and how compliance in medicine can be improved.

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.

Product solutions

“Microbiology and the development of medical products go hand in hand”

Tina Leeb is an expert in microbiology. For the past three years, the experienced microbiologist has conducted research in product development for Lohmann & Rauscher and has helped to build the company’s own competence centre for biofilm. In our interview, she explains the unique characteristics of biofilm, the connection between medical products and microbiology, and what inspires her in her work.

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.

Product solutions

Surgical scrubs: Choosing the right clothing improves patients’ safety

Surgical scrubs can aid in containing the spread of microorganisms found on the skin and on clothing worn outside the surgical area, and lower the incidence of surgical site infections. Choosing the right clothing for the personnel transfer area and establishing guidelines are important steps in limiting microbial spread and promoting patient safety.

Prevention of surgical site infection (SSI)

New recommendation on storage duration for sterile medical devices

Not only medical products play a decisive role in safe and hygienically secure operations. It is also essential that staples, scissors, hooks and other instruments are properly stored. This is the key message of the German Society for Sterile Supply (DGSV) in its “Recommendation on storage duration for sterile medical devices”. The type of storage is particularly important when single-use instruments are used, and this factor also determines the recommended length of storage.