Amasht Hygiene E-news | June 2012   Doctors' and nurses' hospital uniforms contain dangerous bacteria a majority of the time   More than 60 percent of hospital nurses′ and doctors′ uniforms tested positive for potentially dangerous bacteria, according to a study published in the September 2011 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC ­ the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. A team of researchers led by Yonit Wiener-Well, MD, from the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, collected swab samples from three parts of the uniforms of 75 registered nurses (RNs) and 60 medical doctors (MDs) by pressing standard blood agar plates at the abdominal zone, sleeves′ ends and pockets. The researchers at this 550-bed, university-affiliated hospital found that exactly half of all the cultures taken, representing 65 percent of the RN uniforms and 60 percent of the MD uniforms, harbored pathogens. Of those, 21 cultures from RN uniforms and six cultures from MD uniforms contained multi-drug resistant pathogens, including eight cultures that grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Although the uniforms themselves may not pose a direct risk of disease transmission, but indicate a prevalence of antibiotic resistant strains in close proximity to hospitalized patients. Any clothing worn by humans will become contaminated with microorganisms. The cornerstone of infection prevention remains the use of hand hygiene to prevent the movement of microbes from these surfaces to patients. According to the WHO, the risk of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in some developing countries is 20 times higher than in developed countries. Hospitals in developed countries like Israel and U.S., HAIs occur too often, can be deadly, and are expensive to treat. HAI prevention is therefore the best approach for patient safety. Infection preventionists, in collaboration with direct care providers, can prevent more than half of HAIs by applying proven prevention practices. Article Source: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authored_newsitem.cws_home/companynews05_02066   A 4-5% reduction in your water intake may reduce your concentration and performance by as much as 30% Vitamin E is the strongest anti-oxidant. It provides necessary oils and makes hormones work in the body. Without vitamin E we lose the ability to fight free-radicals. If you don′t want to receive this newsletter, please click on ′unsubscribe′ Amasht Paper Hygiene Products Pvt. Ltd., S.No.23, Thergaon, Pune 411033. email: amasht@vsnl.com    www.amasht.com Please click here if you can′t view the newsletter properly.