ADVIN.ORG - Association for the Défense of Victims of Nosocomial Infections

Resistance to antibiotics has become a major public health problem; at least 25,000 people die in Europe each year as a result of antibiotic-resistant infections. The PACOBURNS project is set up to explore the possibility of using bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics, especially skin infections. This project aims to explore the role and potential of bacteriophages as a means of combating bacterial infections, especially against germs that are multi-resistant to antibiotics. It also involves promoting the use of phages as a credible alternative to antibiotics.

Source: American Journal of Infection Prevention - In Germany, Medical students were asked regarding knowledge and beliefs on hand hygiene before entering the clinical phase of education. Only 21% knew the correct indications for hand disinfection. Regardless of previous experience in hospitals, the medical students expected that the compliance towards hand hygiene would be worse in more experienced physicians and senior consultants—who are often considered to be role models for medical students.

Being open with patients and families is a basic recognition of patients rights and patients'dignity. «When things go wrong, patients and families need to know what happened.When patient and family sense that information is being withheld, we lose trust and we are more anxious, fearful and angry...»

The Canadian Disclosure Guidelines build on various patient safety initiatives currently under way across Canada and assist and support healthcare providers, inter-professional teams, organizations, and regulators.

These guidelines symbolize a commitment to patients’ right to be informed if they are involved in a patient safety incident by promoting a clear and consistent approach to disclosure, emphasizing the importance of inter-professional teamwork, and supporting learning from patient safety incidents. Hospital-acquires infections should be included in the list of adverse events.

Source: TS-CI -Kingston, Ontario, Canada. An infectious disease expert has collaborated in the development of a disinfection system that may change the way hospital rooms all over the world are cleaned as well as stop bed bug outbreaks in hotels and apartments. "This is the future, because many hospital deaths are preventable with better cleaning methods," says Dick Zoutman of Queen's University, who is also Quinte Health Care's new Chief of Staff. "It has been reported that more than 100,000 people in North America die every year due to hospital acquired infections at a cost of $30 billion. That's 100,000 people every year who are dying from largely preventable infections." (4000 in Québec). The findings appear in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC).