Thoroughly cleaning hospital rooms and disinfecting objects touched most frequently, such as doorknobs and telephones, can help reduce the incidence of bacterial infections in hospitals, where the germs most often trigger complications and death.
British researchers reporting in the journal Lancet say that although the notion of a thorough cleaning seems obvious, few studies have been conducted to determine how well good housekeeping can prevent the infection — and deaths — of confined patients.
Dr. Stephanie Dancer, the infectious disease expert who authored the report, suggests housekeepers “should be included as an integral part of the infection control team.” Dancer added that housekeepers should be allocated more money from hospital budgets because costs associated with extending hospitalization of infected patients justify the expense of more extensive cleaning services.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 500,000 people are infected annually with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 20 percent of all bloodstream infections in hospitals are caused by MRSA. Dancer underscored that floor-cleaning is often given a priority in hospitals, but objects closest to the patient are more likely to harbor MRSA and other germs. Examples include bed rails, bedside tables, infusion pumps, doorknobs, switches — including the nurse-call button — and telephone.
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