Infection control practices in facilities for highly infectious diseases across Europe

Summary Background The management of patients with highly infectious diseases (HIDs) is a challenge for healthcare provision requiring a high level of care without compromising the safety of other patients and healthcare workers. Aim To study the infection control practice in isolation facilities pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Journal of hospital infection 2012-07, Vol.81 (3), p.184-191
Main Authors:	Maltezou, H.C, Fusco, F.M, Schilling, S, De Iaco, G, Gottschalk, R, Brodt, H.-R, Bannister, B, Brouqui, P, Thomson, G, Puro, V, Ippolito, G
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Biological and medical sciences Communicable Diseases - transmission Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control Disinfection Disinfection - methods Epidemiology. Vaccinations Europe General aspects Hand Disinfection - methods Hand hygiene Health Care Surveys Highly infectious diseases Hospitals, Isolation - methods Hospitals, Isolation - standards Humans Hygiene Infection control Infection Control - methods Infection Control - standards Infectious Disease Infectious diseases Isolation facilities Medical sciences Patient Isolation Waste management
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Summary:	Summary Background The management of patients with highly infectious diseases (HIDs) is a challenge for healthcare provision requiring a high level of care without compromising the safety of other patients and healthcare workers. Aim To study the infection control practice in isolation facilities participating in the European Network for Highly Infectious Diseases (EuroNHID) project. Methods A survey was conducted during 2009 of 48 isolation facilities caring for patients with HIDs in 16 European countries. Checklists and standard evaluation forms were used to collect and interpret data on hand hygiene, routine hygiene and disinfection, and waste management. Findings Forty percent of HIDs had no non-hand-operated sinks or alcohol-based antiseptic distributors, while 27% did not have procedures for routine hygiene, final disinfection, or safe discarding of non-disposable objects or equipment. There was considerable variation in the management of waste and in the training of housekeeping personnel. EuroNHID has developed recommendations for hand hygiene, disinfection, routine hygiene, and waste management. Conclusions Most aspects of hand hygiene, routine hygiene and disinfection, and waste management were considered at least partially adequate in the majority of European isolation facilities dedicated for the care of patients with HIDs. But considerable variability was observed, with management of waste and training of housekeeping personnel being generally less satisfactory.
ISSN:	0195-6701 1532-2939