Hygiene & Infectiology The central staff unit Hygiene & Infectiology stands for high quality standards throughout the GFO network.

Hospital hygiene is the branch of hygiene that deals with the identification, investigation and prevention of all causes of harm to the health of patients and staff that occur in the hospital.

Our goal is to ensure the protection and safety of patients, visitors, guests and staff and all involved. To achieve this goal, our responsibilities consist of, but are not limited to:

• Detection and assessment of hospital-acquired infections and multi-resistant pathogens.

• Targeted recording, evaluation and monitoring of measures to reduce nosocomial infections, hand disinfectant and antibiotic consumption

• Reduction of multiresistant pathogens and prevention of nosocomial transmissions and infections

• Regular training and continuing education programs for employees of all occupational groups, hygiene officers, ABS experts and ABS officers

• Definition and updating of binding hygiene standards for all kitchens, cafeterias and food outlets

• Regular inspections and process monitoring in the individual departments and facilities

• Development and updating of hygiene and disinfection plans

• Regular inspection of disinfection and cleaning services using various microbiological methods.

The deployment of hygiene specialists, hygiene-responsible nursing and housekeeping staff at the individual facilities ensures that basic hygiene is observed, that hygiene plans are drawn up and updated, and that staff are trained. Regular recorded inspections of the facilities are also carried out.

The central department supports the child and youth welfare facilities by providing training, drawing up and updating hygiene and disinfection plans, and also by providing personal support and advice on site at the facilities.

Food hygiene also plays a major role in these facilities. Here, too, we provide support by training employees and drawing up and updating hygiene and disinfection plans.

The hygiene specialists released for the business area, as well as all other team members, are available to advise employees, parents and caregivers as needed.

The uncritical use of antibiotics plays a major role in the development of bacterial resistance - a factor that can be influenced in hospitals and medical practices. We have expanded our modern hygiene strategies to include sensible ABS strategies that apply to the goal of sustainable rational antibiotic use. Interdisciplinary ABS teams at the hospitals, led by ABS experts, are made up of physicians from various disciplines, infectious diseases specialists, microbiologists, hospital hygienists, pharmacists and hygiene specialists. Regular ABS visits are carried out in which antibiotic therapies are discussed and critically reviewed. For complex issues, several clinical infectious diseases specialists are available to us within the GFO on a consultative basis. We also emphasize the training of additional infectiologists and ABS experts in our clinics. The intersection of hygiene, infectiology and ABS concepts is large - and our patients benefit from the networking among each other.

In addition to the usual in-house training courses for employees of the facilities, the Central Department of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases also offers training and continuing education events that are well received beyond the GFO boundaries. For example, the central department organizes the annual GFO Hygiene and Infectious Diseases Day and, in cooperation with the GFO Education Center , also offers training courses for hygiene officers in nursing and functional services. In addition, a course for hygiene officers for community facilities for children and young people is being held for the second time this year.