Hospital ward design and prevention of hospital-acquired infections: A prospective clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Renovation of a general medical ward provided an opportunity to study health care facility design as a factor for preventing hospital-acquired infections.

Objective

To determine whether a hospital ward designed with predominantly single rooms was associated with lower event rates of hospital-acquired infection and colonization.

Methods

A prospective controlled trial with patient allocation incorporating randomness was designed with outcomes on multiple 'historic design' wards (mainly four-bed rooms with shared bathrooms) compared with outcomes on a newly renovated 'new design' ward (predominantly single rooms with private bathrooms).

Results

Using Poisson regression analysis and adjusting for time at risk, there were no differences (P=0.18) in the pr

SUBMITTER: Ellison J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4211350 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature