title: [Hygiene and Infection Prevention in Medical Institutions, Kindergartens and Schools - Statutory Basis, Infection Control Practice and Experiences of the Public Health Services].
abstract: Infection prevention is one of the main tasks of the public health services. The "Protection against infection act" places all medical institutions and facilities for children (kindergartens and schools) under the obligation to assume responsibility and to cooperate. Duties of the institutions are described, and public health services are obliged to perform hygiene control visits.Regarding medical institutions, the guidelines of the German Commission on Hospital Hygiene and Infection Control have to be observed, and the counties were obliged to publish hygiene enactments. Subsequently, good improvements in hygiene management in medical institutions were achieved. In schools, however, severe hygienic problems (i.e. sanitary hygiene, indoor air hygiene) are detected, without any improvement - obviously due to a missing sense of responsibility in the school community. Causes for poor behaviour prevention (hand hygiene, ventilation) and missing situational prevention (i.e. cleaning) are discussed. Without reversion to the obviously needed but nearly forgotten subject school hygiene, obligatory guidelines and the assuming of responsibility, permanent improvements cannot be achieved.
authors.affiliation: Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heudorf
mesh_terms: D005858:Germany; D033161:Government Regulation; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D006920:Hygiene / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D017053:Infection Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D012574:Schools / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States; D014492:United States Public Health Service / Q000458:organization & administration*