Assessing the biological efficacy and rate of recontamination following hydrogen peroxide vapour decontamination.

The inanimate hospital environment can become contaminated with nosocomial pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) decontamination has proven effective for the eradication of persistent environmental contamination. We investigated the extent of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and gentamicin-resistant Gram-negative rod (GNR) contamination in a ward side-room occupied by a patient with a history of MRSA, VRE and GNR infection and colonisation and investigated the impact of HPV decontamination.

Audit of the detection and notification of meningococcal disease at a North London university district hospital.

The microbiology department at a North London hospital audited notifications of suspected meningococcal disease in response to a reported high rate, which it suspected was due to over-reporting out of hours to public health specialists. All cases notified over a 14-month period were assessed with regards to time of reporting and subsequent microbiological confirmation. Of 36 notifications, 18 were confirmed as bacterial, mostly meningococcal meningitis.