EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance MRSA infection

How about a weak bleach dip that will kill the little bugs. Also may clean some of the manky equipment.

I recommend raising any infected items temperature to about 2000 degrees C for approximately 12 hours that usually does it.

That may have an environmental impact.

...like melting the walls of the cssd building

Part of the problem is that there are just too many bio-systems bustling around in modern hospitals. What are all those people doing? Take a look at those wonderful old photographs that sometimes adorn corridor walls, and you'll see spacious, polished, wards (usually with the windows open), and just a couple of nurses posing stiffly for the camera. The patients are also there, of course!

It's not so much the kit that spreads the bugs about, it's all those people! Is it just me, or has anyone one else noticed how much the wards stink these days? If it's not "you-know-what", it's the stench of food. The wards are always stuffy, over-heated, and without adequate ventilation. And, as I say, over-crowded. The first thing I always find myself doing is getting some windows open, just so I can breathe! I stay only as long as it takes to sort out the task at hand, and then bug-out (yes, pun intended).

These days, I don't even stop to chat with the elderly patients, as I used to. Take my advice, Mates, and keep out of the wards as far as possible!

You're not the only one to notice the stink of the wards! All appear to smell the same! I remember the mingled smell of toast and bed-pans in the mornings!!!

It's worth remembering that the average length of in-patient hospital stays has come down from 45 days in 1948 to about 2 days now so there is not a lot of time to clean up between patients! I don't envy our nursing friends their jobs.

I once read of someone in the USA having a cochlear implant operation and paying $115,000 dollars for three nights stay alone ( not including the operation and bits and pieces either!! ) What do our American friends do, burn the furniture in between patients???

That reminds me Geoff the problem isn't just with the NHS, there was a local story here that this happened in a BUPA hospital. Although if it had been a NHS hospital the news story would probably have been an national story and given more enthusis!

All I can smell here is the odor of floor cleaner, a very strong sweat, sickly smell, I take it there's a reason that NHS cleaner doesn't come in pine fresh?

You're spot on about the smell of toast, Jon! It seems that British hospitals couldn't manage without it.

Fair comment about private hospitals Chris. I make no distinction myself. Military hospitals used to be the best (in terms of cleanliness, and general good order), but they're a thing of the past in UK now (sadly, in my view).

As a Field Engineer mobile across the whole southern cluster I get to go in and out of many hospitals week in and week out. Having taken an interest in Infection Control during my MSc, I go out of my way to take note of how many people entering an leaving hospital at the same time as me use the alcohol gel provided at almost every entrance. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to many that almost no one uses it. It has been pointed out earlier in the thread that Hospitals seem inundated by oodles of visitors at all times of the day, and it seems to me that almost none of them seem to be taking responsibilty for their own infection control. As long as this public intransigence prevails I fear the organised fight against HAI from within the Healthcare Communinty is doomed for the outset.

Sheep need to be led, Snowler (or, perhaps, dipped would be more appropriate in this case)!