[Quality assurance and infection control in outpatient surgery].
BACKGROUND
According to the German Law on Infectious Diseases (Infektionsschutzgesetz or IfSG) German outpatient centres must provide evidence of maintaining certain standards of hygiene and record their nosocomial infection rates. To fulfill their legal obligations, the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and the Prevention of Infection recommends surveillance modules such as that known as AMBU-KISS.


METHODS
The AMBU-KISS project centre implemented a survey to evaluate all procedures relevant to hygiene, surveillance of surgical site infections, and facilities available at centres participating in the AMBU-KISS surveillance programme. The questionnaire was returned by 99 of 110 participants.


CONCLUSIONS
All the centres possess cleaning and disinfection schemes, and practically all of them use written instructions on the processing of instruments and surgical hand disinfection procedure. Many of the participants spend too much time on surgical hand disinfection and presurgical skin disinfection.


CONCLUSIONS
The survey demonstrates that hygienic conditions at centres participating in AMBU-KISS are largely satisfactory. However, there is nevertheless a need to optimise infection control measures.
Blaich
A
A
Institut für Umweltmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinikum, Freiburg, Deutschland. ablaich@uhbs.ch
Babikir
R
R
Daschner
F
F
Schweins
M
M
Lambert
J
J
Ingenhoven
E
E
Gastmeier
P
P
Dettenkofer
M
M
D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires