“We know there are bad germs in hospitals but we’re just beginning to understand how they are spread,” said Deverick J. Anderson, MD, MPH, lead author of the study and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C
To prevent spread of these bugs, three components are especially important:
- hand washing after all patient encounters;
- using disposable gloves and gowns when treating patients with specific infections, and
- meticulous and regular cleaning of patients’ rooms.
“This study shows we need to be 100 percent diligent about infection control strategies.”