Charité against allegations of hospital germs

Undercover reporter investigates how to handle cleanliness and germs

28/11/2014

Hygiene deficiencies, non-compliance, inadequate education: A reporter from the search bureau „corrective“ worked for almost two weeks as a supposed intern in the Berlin Charité and discovered considerable deficits. Now the traditional Berlin hospital rejects the allegations and justifies their handling of multidrug-resistant germs.

Supposed intern is working 12 days in the gastroenterology of the Berlin Charité
For twelve days, Benedict Wermter from the research office „corrective“ concealed worked as a nursing intern in the field of gastroenterology of the Berlin Charité. Guided by the question „How does the Charité handle hygiene and germs??“, According to the bureau, Wermter had discovered numerous maladies there, such as non-compliant hygiene regulations by the nursing staff. Also, patients and visitors were insufficiently informed about the risks of poor hygiene and the dangers of multi-resistant germs, even he had as „Employee“ after just a week, a first introduction to the topic „hygiene measures“ receive.

Up to 15,000 people die every year from hospital infections
„I saw a lot of germ-infected patients walking around the ward. The staff have not always protected themselves and others from resistant pathogens [...]. At the same time, I have often experienced visitors and patients badly informed. I have addressed many infected patients on the germs. Most either had no idea or suppressed the problem“, reports Wermter on the website of the search bureau. A condition that can have dramatic consequences because, as Correctiv writes, up to 15,000 people in Germany would die each year from hospital infections, according to the Federal Ministry of Health. The number of victims could even be even higher after joint research by Correctiv, "Die Zeit", "Zeit Online" and the Spark media group. According to him, doctors calculated more than 30,000 times more than 30,000 times one of the widespread microorganisms MRSA, ESBL or VRE - however, the number of patients who died from the pathogens could not be said from the data.

Patient with multi-resistant germ in the area of ​​the ward kitchen
As Correctiv further reported, but now the Charité have responded to the research and submitted an opinion. Accordingly, the clinic had rejected, among other things, the accusation that germinated patients had moved freely without protective clothing on the ward. The background: During his research, Benedict Wermter had observed a patient who was in the area of ​​the ward kitchen despite a multi-resistant germ: „So she can not infect other patients, she is actually isolated in her room. Nevertheless, she walks around the station. She also uses the disabled toilet in the corridor. At night, the sisters say, she often spends hours in the house“, reports Wermter. Apparently a reckless mistake, because „isolated patients should not leave the room alone and uncontrolled“, Peter Walger from the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH).

Specific hygiene rules for the patients
But from the point of view of the Charité no mistake was made here, rather infected patients would anyway „leave her room only in rare, well-founded exceptions“. If there were only a colonization, ie a colonization of the germ carrier without a disease value, but the patients could be restricted in their movement only within the limits of the law, the clinic is further cited. „Of course, we explain to our populated patients how to behave“, so that, for example, patients are basically told that they “to have their hands disinfected when they leave their room.“ In addition, the patients would get “depending on the pathogen and colonization specific hygiene rules communicated“, according to the statement of the Charité Corrective.

Strong defects also in the area of ​​disinfection
As Correctiv further reported, Benedict Wermter had also become aware of deficiencies in the field of disinfection through his covert work. Thus, for example, a trainee who had explained to the supposed trainee the blood glucose meter, had not complied with the necessary hygiene measures by wearing neither gloves nor disinfected hands or device. Again, the Charité according to the search office took position: „The wearing of gloves in case of possible contact with blood, secretions and excretions is a fundamental requirement of personnel protection, which is consistently implemented in the Charité.”

Personnel only partially comply with regulations on protective clothing
However, in the course of his research, Wermter was able to uncover further shortcomings with regard to the required protective clothing. Although, according to the specifications of the Charité in isolated rooms and in patients with artificially weakened immune system generally a mouth and nose protection must be worn, the staff does not seem to always comply with this requirement. Not even if direct contact and contamination are to be expected. As a result, for example, a patient had become infected during a heart transplantation in the Charité with the germ MRSA. „You do not think the doctors put on a surgical mask. They are above everything“, the patient is cited by Correctiv and receives confirmation from a trainee who told Wermter: „We have to put the protection in front of every isolated room. Some do that and some do not. That's the problem.“ (No)