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Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:2785-2786.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Transmission of pathogens from patient to patient by the hands of health care workers (HCWs) is the most important source of cross-infections in hospitals, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Three variables related to behavior of HCWs are important in cross-transmission of pathogens: adherence to hand hygiene, the extent of HCW cohorting, and the number of interactions between HCWs and patients (interaction rates).¹ Although levels of adherence with hand hygiene have been studied extensively,² little is known about the extent of cohorting of HCWs, the number of interactions per hour between HCWs and patients, and how these parameters quantitatively influence the potential relative risk of transmission of microorganisms for different groups of HCWs.

Methods

During a 7-week period, the cohorting extent of nursing staff, the number of interactions between patients and HCWs, and HCWs' adherence with hand hygiene were assessed by observation of patients and HCWs in a 16-bed medical ICU. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Results

Comment
Saskia Nijssen, MD; Marc J. M. Bonten, MD, PhD
Utrecht, the Netherlands

Cory Franklin, MD
Chicago, Ill

Jan Verhoef, MD, PhD; Andy I. M. Hoepelman, MD, PhD
Utrecht

Robert A. Weinstein, MD
Chicago