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Ignoring basic hygiene measures poses threat to
public health in Quebec
and throughout the world
USA: A study
carried out in 1,256 American hospitals revealed that 87% had not yet
implemented in whole or in part basic infection prevention measures. According
to the Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety survey (October 2007) only 35.6% of
hospitals followed recommendations for basic hand cleanliness.
Experts from the University of Boston
discovered that in forty-nine operating rooms, over 50% of medical equipment
and instruments had not been properly disinfected.
In April 2007 the Society for Health Care
Epidemiology found that 20 hospitals in the State of Connecticut had not adequately cleaned half
of the surfaces in patient's rooms.
Another study conducted at the University of Maryland revealed that 65% of doctors
and other health care professionals wore the same lab coat for a week or more
despite knowing that it was dirty. Some wore the same dirty lab coat for a
month or longer.
Great Britain:
Studies have shown that one out of four hospitals fail to adhere to minimum
hygiene standards and that 90% of them don't provide separate rooms to isolate
colonized or infected patients. Even more disturbing is the fact that 40% of
British hospitals fail to report NI's and 38% don't control the use of
antibiotics.
France: (Etats généraux sur les infections nosocomiales -
February 2007.)
The Paris Declaration issued in 2007 states
that "patient safety is a political priority" and has recommended the
implementation of twenty-four specific measures to improve patient safety. Six
of these concern methods to be included in a training program for hygiene and
infection control professionals. This organization also proposes a public
awareness program targeting young children via their schools. Although the
nosocomial infection rate in France
is among the lowest in Europe at 4.9% and two times lower than Quebec, these
recommendations show there is still much work to be done.
Throughout the world and in Quebec, studies show that
fewer than 50% of health care workers wash their hands before and after
treating patients.
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