GMS hygiene and infection control
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GMS Hyg Infect Control · Jan 2016
Prospective data collection and analysis of perforations and tears of latex surgical gloves during primary endoprosthetic surgeries.
Introduction: Surgical gloves are used to prevent contamination of the patient and the hospital staff with pathogens. The aim of this study was to examine the actual effectiveness of gloves by examining the damage (perforations, tears) to latex gloves during surgery in the case of primary hip and knee prosthesis implantation. Materials and methods: Latex surgical gloves used by surgeons for primary hip and knee replacement surgeries were collected directly after the surgery and tested using the watertightness test according to ISO EN 455-1:2000. ⋯ Conclusions: Our results highlight the high failure rate of surgical gloves. This has acute implications for glove production, surgical practice, and hygiene guidelines. Further studies are needed to detect the surgical steps, surface structures, and instruments that pose an increased risk for glove damage.
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GMS Hyg Infect Control · Jan 2015
Systemic mistakes in hand hygiene practice in Ukraine: detection, consequences and ways of elimination.
Every year, millions of people around the world suffer from different infectious diseases, considerable part of which are hospital-acquired infections. WHO considers hand hygiene as a priority measure aimed to reduce the level of infection. We evaluated various aspects related to the situational behavior and prioritization regarding hand hygiene measures among the healthcare workers of Ukraine. ⋯ Changing hand hygiene behavior and attitude is possible by beginning to observe clinical practice and by involving healthcare workers in teaching and training.
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GMS Hyg Infect Control · Jan 2013
Microbial contamination of manually reprocessed, ready to use ECG lead wire in intensive care units.
A number of studies have shown that non-critical medical devices can be contaminated with pathogens, including those resistant to antibiotics and thus become a potential vector for transmission. Electrocardiography (ECG) lead wire are non-critical medical device which are always attached on patient skin during their stay in intensive care unit (ICU). In view of the patient's critical conditions and exposure to invasive procedures, identification and prevention of possible risks are important to prevent infection in ICUs. ⋯ Manually cleaned ECG lead wires may serve as a vector for transmission of nosocomial pathogens. The current reprocessing technique for ECG lead wires needs to be improved.