15 April 2005

Combatting health care associated infections: Bacteria may be super resistant, hospitals too!

Le Point, a French periodical, has just published its annual “hospitals black list” . This report denounces the fact that 16 years after the first program to combat these infections was launched in France, 25% of hospitals still do not have any control measures or program. However, it is well documented that measuring the rate of infections, specially amongst post surgical patients, is the most efficient method to control post surgical infectious risks (according to Gilles Brücker, director of l’Institut de Veille Sanitaire – Sanitary Satch Institute). According to Le Point, one out of 10 hospitals do not use the best product for hand hygiene, a simple water-alcohol solution that helps to reduce the level of hospital acquired infections by half.

It is erroneous to assume that nothing can be done. The infection rate could easily be reduced by 30% to 50% if rigorous prevention measures were implemented. The measures in question are hardly new, and the Public Health System has known about them for the past quarter century. It is critical that such measures be implemented rigorously and permanently because the war against nosocomial infections is a long-term struggle.