Posts Tagged ‘Norovirus’
Considering the risk of contamination of privacy curtains in hospitals
A Canadian study reports the findings of a prospective survey of bacterial contamination of privacy curtains in hospitals. The curtains became contaminated with antibiotic resistant bacteria within weeks of being introduced into the clinical environment. The calls into question the management of privacy curtains in the healthcare setting. Previous studies have found that privacy curtains can be contaminated…
Read MoreMulti-occupancy bays as a risk factor for norovirus spread
Norovirus is a common cause of gastrointestinal diseases in hospitals and other ‘semi-closed’ environments (like cruise ships, prisons, and schools). A new study suggests that wards whether patients share multi-occupancy bays are more likely to experience norovirus outbreaks, and that the risk of norovirus transmission increases as more patients share a bay. The factors driving norovirus transmission…
Read MoreThe physical environment and norovirus containment
As norovirus season gets into full swing, spare a thought for those hospital that still have open plan ‘Nightingale’ style wards. These worked for Florence in a Victorian era, but narrow bed spacing and a lack of single rooms makes the containment of infectious diseases very challenging in these wards. A study just published in…
Read MoreContamination of the air: cause or effect?
There’s an ever increasing wealth of data that contamination of hospital surfaces are important in the transmission of key hospital pathogens. However, the importance of contaminated air in the transmission of these pathogens is much less certain. There are some pathogens – like measles – for which airborne spread is by far the most important route. But…
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