The entire hospital environment must be protected from colonization of virulent strains of bacteria that have a profound effect in the outcome of surgical wounds. Hospital cross-infection is a term used for endemic, in-hospital strains of bacteria that are resistant to many antimicrobial drugs. These organisms include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, E. coli, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poor hospital management of aseptic precautions lead to higher incidences of wound infections, as well as pneumonitis and septicemia in infants and elderly patients. In order to avoid hospital cross-infection, rules must be strictly enforced in the surgical world of a hospital.
The hospital should have a Surgical Infection Control Program with a Hospital Infection Committee to set up and enforce the following general rules:
- All significant infections must be reported immediately.
- Infected wounds must be cultured and examined for antibiotic sensitivity.
- Isolation of patients with communicable infections.
- Implementation of aseptic techniques in the operating room.
- Post-operative care of infected open wounds by special dressings, etc.
- Hand washing before and after contact with patients.
- Personnel with acute, chronic and carrier bacterial status must be detected and excluded from patient contact during treatment, and replaced if it is difficult to fully cure the person.
- Every significant infection should be investigated for the possible detection of source.