Milestones in the testing of surface disinfectants: from Robert Koch to CEN TC 216.

The first publication on testing disinfection procedures dates back to 1881 and was compiled by Robert Koch. Although his conclusions were erroneous, we continue to use the "germ carrier test" right up to the present day even if preference is now given to the suspension test first devised by Geppert. Over the years many conceptual milestones had to be reached, and much knowledge and many insights were needed to develop this procedure further to ensure reproducible results.

The organization of infection control in Belgium.

The authors describe the organization of infection control in Belgium with respect to official regulations, the tasks and the training of the infection control doctor and of the infection control nurse, functioning of the infection control committee, the financing and the availability of guidelines.

Complete nose coverage to prevent airborne contamination via nostrils is unnecessary.

Besides an atraumatic procedure, aseptic techniques during surgery have been suggested to have a positive impact on the predictability of osseointegration. To avoid an infection of the surgical field, coverage of the face of the patient (drapes) and nose (surgical mask, drape and plastic film) were advocated in order to reduce airborne infections and to prevent a contact contamination of instruments and gloves. Such a coverage, however, increases the feeling of claustrophobia when local anaesthesia is used and can lead to hypoxemia.

Origin and transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an endemic situation: differences between geriatric and intensive-care patients.

Imported vs. hospital-acquisition of MRSA was assessed in > 6000 patients at a large tertiary care teaching hospital. About five percent (5.

Hospital hygiene in Europe. The situation in Belgium and The Netherlands.

The situation of hospital hygiene in Belgium and in the Netherlands is described in the light of the official regulations, the composition and the functioning of the infection committee and of the hospital hygiene team, and the availability of official or semi-official guidelines. Typical for the Netherlands in the long tradition of issuing guidelines on hospital hygiene, in the beginning in 1966 in the form of an advice of the Health Council, at present in the guidelines of the Working Group on Infection Prevention (WIP). A particularity for Belgium is the financing by the state of the hospital hygiene doctor and the hospital hygiene nurses based on a system of scores in which the beds of specialisms with a higher infection risk count for more than general beds.