Hygiene measures

Question

In how far should hygiene measures differentiate concerning the private setting, day seminars of the association, longer recreational stays of the association, climate stays of the association and convalescent care, visits at the CF-center and hospital stays taking into account the very different risk situtaions and different state of study data?

Answer

Dear questioner,

the typical CF-specific germs (e.g. P. aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia) are humid germs, which are spread widely in the environment. After a germ has been found in the patient, today in vast majority of cases it cannot be clarified, what has been the actual source of infection, even if investigations of the environment have been arranged. Hygiene recommendations in order to avoid an exposition to germs therefore are based mainly on a general weighing of risks (especially loaded sources resp. infection relevant activities) also with repect to an restriction of quality of life. Due to hygienic measures and segregaton of patients transmissions in the setting of hospital stays resp. visits of the CF-center, have today become very rare. An actual guideline of the commission for hospital hygiene and infection prevention (KRINKO) summerizes recommendations of the hygiene behaviour in case of CF on the basis of the actual knowledge (e.g. state of study data) in the field of hospital, physiotherapy, in daily life etc. [translators comment: this is a German question, the link to the German website of the mentioned commission has been left out]. Furthermore, hygiene measures have to be scheduled always also with respect to the local circumstances (e.g. in the form of hygiene plans). The question is therefore much too complex in order to be answered in the frame of this forum.
I hope to have helped you further with this.

Yours sincerely,
Michael Hogardt

24.01.2013