[Requirements for the prevention of nosocomial infections. German Guideline 2009 and reality. Current data from hospitals in Frankfurt am Main, Germany].

In 2009, the new directive of the German Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (Kommission für Krankenhaushygiene und Infektionsprävention, KRINKO) entitled Human and Organizational Requirements for the Prevention of Nosocomial Infections was published, including detailed information on the needs of hygiene professionals in hospital settings. Compared to the needs calculated according to the above policy, the current staff hygiene health professionals (HHPs) in the hospitals of Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt/M), Germany, was on average 27.6%: 36% in the large hospitals (>600 beds), 21.6% in medium hospitals (300-600 beds), and 19.8% in small hospitals (<300 beds). Only 1 of 14 hospitals had a full-time hygienist. The demands of the KRINKO policy have not been met by any of the hospitals. Hospitals with lower percentages of hospital hygiene staff not only had a lower rating of hygienic quality, they also showed a lower usage of hand disinfection per patient-day. In Germany, there is currently a lack of trained HHPs and hygienists to meet the needs of the KRINKO policy. Therefore, the reactions of the hospitals in Frankfurt/M ranged from the establishment of additional jobs for HHPs to changes in structures and organization of hospital hygiene. Thus, the new KRINKO guideline in Frankfurt/M did not result in a wave of recruitment of health professionals, but at least resulted in organizational and structural improvements in hygiene.