Practical Patient Care

In this edition we look at the African healthcare system which is blighted by incidents of needlestick injury. Efforts are being made by all stakeholders to reduce and eventually eradicate this, as Ron Stoker and Laura Baker explain.

But such incidents are increasing in frequency according to official figures. Lorrie Kelly talks to Dr Fortune Ncube and Jane Perry to see how the sectors in North America and Europe are responding to this situation.

Meanwhile, the issue of hospital-acquired infections remains a hot topic. A leading team of infection specialists investigate the issue of MRSA and the dangers it poses within a facility, particularly ICU departments. Professor Didier Pittet of the University Hospital of Geneva draws attention to the impact of this issue on the developing world.