Abstract
The incidence of postoperative wound infection in a general surgical unit is reported both before and after transfer from a “Nightingale” type multibed ward to a new “race-track” type of surgical ward with controlled ventilation and with 40% of its beds in single rooms. Following transfer postoperative wound infection was reduced by about 55%.
With the use of certain types of staphylococcal infection as an index of cross-infection it was shown that transfer was followed by a 72% reduction in cross-infection of wounds.
A case is made for control of hospital cross-infection in surgical wards. The principal change in ward architecture resulting from the transfer was the extensive division of ward space into separate compartments (40% of single-bed rooms), which make controlled ventilation easier.
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Selected References
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- HENDERSON R. J., WILLIAMS R. E. NASAL CARRIAGE OF STAPHYLOCOCCI AND POST-OPERATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCAL WOUND INFECTION. J Clin Pathol. 1963 Sep;16:452–456. doi: 10.1136/jcp.16.5.452. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]