title: [Infection control in the operating room: preventive measures and isolation precautions in cases of multidrug resistant pathogens].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Providing surgical treatment for patients colonised or infected with multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) is daily routine in German hospitals. However, there is uncertainty about the application of adequate infection control measures in the OR. One of the reasons is that specific guidelines are not available.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated current practice in surgical departments of selected German university medical centres using a questionnaire. In addition, centres were asked to provide in-house standard operating procedures (SOP), if available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen questionnaires from 19 departments within 4 centres and 5 in-house SOPs were ana-lysed. The results showed a broad spectrum of applied infection control measures. Wide variations existed both within centres and within departments of the same centre regardless of existing in-house standards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Guidelines addressing perioperative infection control measures for patients harbouring MDROs should be developed with a focus on practicability to reduce both transmission of MDROs and unreasonable measures. Implementation of existing SOPs can be a target for optimisation.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Umweltmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, Freiburg, Deutschland. dirk.luft@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luft
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemmen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Geipel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meerbach
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheithauer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eckmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dettenkofer
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000592:standards; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000592:standards; D010356:Patient Isolation; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance