Abstract Increasing numbers of hospital-acquired infections have generated much attention over the last decade. The public has linked the so-called ‘superbugs’ with their experience of dirty hospitals but the precise role of environmental cleaning in the control of these organisms remains unknown. Until cleaning
Editorial Note: The following are excerpts from a presentation by Dr. Stephanie Dancer. Why the debate about MRSA and hospital cleaning? “There is no evidence” – cleaning has never been regarded as an evidence-based science Aesthetic considerations make cleaning difficult to assess No way
Abstract Hospital cleaning is a neglected component of infection control. In the UK, financial constraints have forced managers to re-evaluate domestic services and general cleaning has been reduced to the bare minimum. Services have been contracted out in some hospitals, which has further lowered
Abstract In the UK, we continue to debate the importance of hospital cleaning in relation to increasing numbers of patients acquiring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, there is little direct evidence for the effectiveness of cleaning because it has never been afforded scientific status. Hospital