Infektionsprophylaxe in der ärztlichen Praxis und bei der ärztlichen Versorgung von Patienten im häuslichen Bereich/Heim

Despite the crucial importance of infection control measures for general and specialist practitioners, implementation of these measures is inadequate in daily work routine. There are a number of reasons for this: There are no feasible guidelines and regulations which cover the broad spectrum of treatment in practice; documentation of infection control measures or of infections occurring in the course of treatment in practice is unsatisfactory; physicians and technical staff in a practice do not have sufficient knowledge of infection control measures; as a consequence of economic restrictions the necessary measures are not carried out; there is no Infection Prevention Act for practices as the one existing for hospitals (in Germany). Although the prevalence of treatment-related severe infections might be less frequent in practices as compared to the hospital, the number of cases brought to trial by injured patients against practitioners is on the rise. This may be taken as an indication that infection control measures in practices should be granted a priority status. Therefore, it is crucial to establish basic rules for preventive measures taking into account feasibility as well as the economic situation in practices. In this context it is of utmost importance to draw up standard operating procedures as an infection control policy and to be in continuous contact with an experienced expert for infection control or for public health.