Review
The health professional's role in preventing nosocomial
infections
H Saloojee, A Steenhoff
Department of
Paediatrics and Child Health, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Wits,
Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
Correspondence to: Dr Saloojee 092sal{at}chiron.wits.ac.za
Submitted 12 January
2000;
Accepted 9 May 2000
Despite their best intentions, health professionals sometimes
act as vectors of disease, disseminating new infections among their
unsuspecting clients. Attention to simple preventive strategies may
significantly reduce disease transmission rates. Frequent hand washing
remains the single most important intervention in infection control.
However, identifying mechanisms to ensure compliance by health
professionals remains a perplexing problem. Gloves, gowns, and masks
have a role in preventing infections, but are often used
inappropriately, increasing service costs unnecessarily. While virulent
microorganisms can be cultured from stethoscopes and white coats, their
role in disease transmission remains undefined. There is greater
consensus about sterile insertion techniques for intravascular
catheters
a common source of infectionsand their care. By following
a few simple rules identified in this review, health professionals may
prevent much unnecessary medical and financial distress to their patients.
Keywords: infection control; cross infection; hand washing; catheterisation
© 2001 by The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine
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