Contamination of the environment plays a key role in the transmission of some pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infection, according to an article on The Nursing Times website.
The article — the first of three parts — describes the process of environmental decontamination, which includes cleaning and disinfection and focuses on the nurse’s role in ensuring the environment is safe for patients.
Recent evidence supports the theory the contaminated environment plays a key role in the transmission of some pathogens.
According to the article, the most powerful evidence is the finding that admission to a hospital room previously occupied by a patient with a pathogen increases the risk of infection for the new occupant.
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