I. The Hospital Environment—Its Place in the Hospital Staphylococcus Infections Problem

Abstract

The danger of staphylococcal disease in hospitals is due to the unusual susceptibility of patients and their exposure to infection by frankly pathogenic staphylococci. Infection of the environment is shown by the rate of staphylococcal disease among personnel. There is no agreement on the relative importance of different routes of spread and which methods of control are most important. Aerial routes have received much attention but are probably chiefly significant in the establishment of carriers and not in direct infection of wounds. Heavy infection of many articles such as bedding, mattresses and baths and long survival of staphylococci on such articles was shown. Animal and human experiments show that staphylococci in the dry state retain their pathogenicity. In a surgical service when the rate of staphylococcal sepsis was low, the rate of wound sepsis was 16 times greater in patients who were nasal carriers on admission to hospital than in non-carriers. All nasal carriers developing staphylococcal wound infections showed the same bacteriophage types in their noses and wounds.