Microbiology
The Microbiology & Hygiene department enables Dr. Weigert to check the effectiveness of disinfection products and processes itself. Particularly when developing new products and processes, this is an important capability that Dr. Weigert is constantly expanding in-house rather than outsourcing.
Furthermore, as a service for our customers, we offer “biocontrol examinations”, in which we check the hygienic requirements and manual cleaning disinfection processes (e.g. surface disinfection) as well as automated reprocessing processes (e.g. dishwashing processes).
To enhance this expertise, employees in the Microbiology & Hygiene department are actively involved on the relevant committees both in Germany and in Europe.
IHO disinfectant list
To help users select suitable products, the IHO (German Industrial Association for Hygiene and Surface Protection) has published lists of disinfectants checked for specific application areas.
www.iho-desinfektionsmittelliste.de
Correct hand disinfection ensures vital protection
For preventing transmission of infection, it is important to break the chain of infection. One of the most important prophylactic measures is hygienic hand disinfection in order to protect patients and staff.
Everybody contributes to preventing infection. This means that everybody is responsible for carrying out hand disinfection in such a way that a risk of manually transmitting pathogens is impossible. The method of hygienic hand disinfection in accordance with EN 1500 shows the most effective way to disinfect the hands.
Apply disinfectant onto the dry hands and rub it into the hands and wrists, making sure that the skin is thoroughly wetted. It is important that all surfaces of the hands are disinfected. When the six steps are complete, repeat the individual steps until the prescribed contact time has been reached. If necessary, apply the disinfectant repeatedly; the hands must be kept wet for the entire duration of disinfecting.
Getting Disinfection Right
Dr. Weigert is actively involved in the IHO, including in the “Öffentliches Gesundheitswesen” (Public Healthcare) project group. The series of publications entitled “Desinfektion richtig gemacht – Desinfektionsmittel gezielt und effizient eingesetzt” (Getting Disinfection Right – Targeted and Efficient Use of Disinfectants) was devised there.
This series explains how to use disinfectants correctly, answers questions on the categorisation of action spectrums, helps with selection of the necessary disinfectants and deals with legal aspects and much more. The brochures can be downloaded free of charge in PDF format or ordered online as hardcopies on the IHO website.
Publications to date:
The Basics of Disinfection
Contents include: Definition of activity spectrums, selecting the right products for routine disinfection and legal aspects of disinfection
IHO_Basisdesinfektion_web.pdf
(PDF file - 2.040 KB)
Disinfectant Lists of Various Associations and Institutions in Germany
Contents include: Checking the effectiveness of disinfectants in Germany and Europe. Various disinfectant lists and their areas of application.
IHO_Desinfektionsmittellisten_web.pdf
(PDF file - 1.780 KB)
Getting Hand Hygiene Right
Contents include: Hand cleaning, hand disinfection, skin protection and skin care. Essential activity spectrums for various applications.
IHO_Haendehygiene_web.pdf
(PDF file - 2.853 KB)
Surface Disinfection in Medical Facilities
Contents include: When is surface disinfection necessary? Essential activity spectrums. The right approach.
IHO_Flaechendesinfektion_web.pdf
(PDF file - 335 KB)
Instrument Disinfection
Contents include: The basics of instrument treatment. Manual and automated cleaning and disinfection of instruments – requirements and implementation. Documentation. Flexible endoscopes.
IHO-Instrumentendesinfektion.pdf
(PDF file - 1.870 KB)
Guideline
Guideline compiled by DGKH, DGSV and AKI for the validation and routine monitoring of automated cleaning and thermal disinfection processes for medical devices (5th Edition 2017)
MHP ZS-Supplement.pdf
(PDF file - 10.7 MB)