The MRSA problem has been ignored almost stoically in many European countries for the past 20 years. Thus the number of resistant Staphylococci cases exploded from 1% in 1990 around 25% in 2010. However, the recognition that an infection can result in additional hospital costs of up to €10,000 has led to a change in thinking. The Netherlands, for example, declared war on MRSA with ‘search and…
That computer keyboards harbour bacteria is well known. Studies have determined that 3,295 germs accumulate per square inch on a standard keyboard. By comparison, a sanitary toilet has 49 germs per square inch.
In hospitals, MRSA is considered Public Enemy Nr 1, and the increase in nosocomial infections, worldwide, has drawn universal attention to this ‘superbug’. However, Staphylococcus aureus is not alone – other pathogens are proving their resistance to antibiotics, in the last decade, gram-negative enterobacteria, which form the enzyme extended-spectrum beta-lactimases (ESBL), have joined the…
Although food for in-patients can be integral to healing, the standard of catering can be disappointingly low in some hospitals. In addition, sometimes even the help needed by those patients unable to eat or drink unaided can be overlooked. In addition, the problems of poor hospital hygiene can, at worst, result in deaths as well as legal issues for management. These two difficult areas are now…
Hospital acquired infections are the focus for the 3rd International Day for Fighting Infection, being marked on St. George’s Day (23 April), as experts meet in Florence to look at the evolution of infection control in hospitals.
Innovate Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a conceptual and operational development. It is comprehensive, modern and multifaceted, to understand the risks and find solutions for indoor air. It goes beyond the sick building concept to define healthy environments and beyond the idea of indoor air being the only contaminant source.
Designed to decontaminate air and thus reduce the chance of infection by airborne pathogenic organisms in areas from hospital wards to waiting rooms or any other enclosed rooms, Medixair has been clinically demonstrated to reduce healthcare associated infections (HCAI).
The road from a great idea to a marketable product is long, rocky and often too expensive. Thus innumerable ground breaking, even revolutionary ideas have never seen daylight and innumerable great inventions and inventors have remained hidden behind desks, in labs and garages. Start-up competitions such as Senkrechtstarter, in Bochum, North Rhine Westphalia, ensure that hidden…
The new Traumastem biodress is the world’s first oxidised cellulose preparation to treat acute and chronic wounds, its Czech manufacturer Bioster a.s. reports.
The half century old Japanese firm Saraya remains a leading name for state-of-the-art hygiene products. At Medica the company is demonstrating the UD 1000 sensor dispenser for disinfectant. Global sales figures for this model speak for themselves - 200,000.
The new Isolette 8000 is the latest model in Dräger’s respected Isolette series of infant incubators that introduced innovations such as the patented Dual Air Curtain, known from the Isolette C2000. ‘This thermal management capability, which is also part of the Isolette 8000, reduces radiant heat loss from the infant and contributes to a cocoon-like environment, where the neonate can…
GE Healthcare is presenting its new Venue ultrasound product line at Medica. The Venue 40, the first product launched, provides visualisation for needle guidance procedures and rapid diagnostics in real-time at the bedside. These point-of-care (POC) settings are the fastest growing in ultrasound internationally (USA growth: 30% average in the last four years. Source: industry report by Klein…
‘Supremely portable and incredibly tough, the NanoMaxx ultrasound system combines Best in Class performance with affordability and simplicity,’ the Erlangen-based manufacturer SonoSite reports.
Experts predict that 25-50% of the French population could be affected by the H1N1 flu this autumn. According to Patrick Berche, head of the microbiology department at the Necker Hospital in Paris, the likely second wave of the epidemic would produce a great number of cases due to the highly contagious nature of the virus.
Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Krankenhaushygiene (DGKH) hat in Kooperation mit dem Universitätsklinikum Essen und dem Berufsverband der Deutschen Chirurgen (BDC) drei neue Aufklärungsfilme zur Händehygiene produziert.
According to ECD statistics for Europe, three million cases of nosocomial infections occur annually, and 50,000 are fatal. Evelina Tacconelli MD PhD (below) is Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore in Rome, Italy. Her scientific focus is on epidemiology, clinical and therapeutic aspects of nosocomial infections and infection control policies aimed to…
The first strain of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) was isolated in the 1960s, and its presence was reported worldwide in the late 1990s. A higher incidence of MRSA was noted in communities, at the dawn of the new millennium, leading to two basic MRSA strains being differentiated - CA-MRSA (community acquired MRSA) and HA-MRSA (healthcare associated MRSA). In clinical practice…
Following an international field trial of "Antimicrobial copper surfaces", Asklepios Clinic, in Hamburg, Germany, has fitted door handles and light switches made of special copper alloys combat the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The UK, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands already have it - an official obligation to report MRSA cases to their health authorities. Since 1 July 2009 German law has also required notification. Professor Herbert Hof, Director of the Institute for Microbiology and Hygiene at the University Hospital Mannheim, Germany, explained why such notification became essential.
Nine years ago surgeon Ulrich Matern, engineer Martin Scherrer and theatre nurse Diana Hagen, suggested a project aimed at improving work practices and efficiency in the operating theatre (OT) and a means to teach, from science-based knowledge, the correct operation of equipment.
The content of training courses on wound care and risk assessment would have one believe that chronic wounds are merely a marginal problem of medical care. The opposite is the case. The number of chronic wounds, and therefore cost of care, are on the increase. Where might the problems and sources of these errors lie?
The Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology (IHB) at Hohenstein has developed the first textile that can release medically effective gasses. The textile was developed at the IHB under the auspices of a broader research project. The textile will be used in future therapeutic applications.
Researchers from East Kilbride, Glasgow, UK, recently presented their results of a study saying that only one extra cleaner in a hospital working Monday to Friday can reduce the number of MRSA infections.
Respiratory protection for hospital staff is a critical issue. Surgical masks were at one time considered sufficient, but new evidence from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that they do almost nothing to protect the individual wearer. In response to the outbreak of Swine Origin Influenza Virus the CDC recommends all healthcare personnel to wear a fit-tested disposable…