[Infection control in Hamamatsu Medical Center]

Since the department of Infection Control was established in Hamamatsu Medical Center, a 615-bed community teaching hospital, we have been practicing infection control program including surveillance, coping with needle stick injuries, introducing Interlink system, PPD testing and influenza vaccination to the health care workers. One of the obstacles in the practice of the hospital infection has been a cost, and the infection control does not progress as long as this can't be solved. The infection control, which we have been carrying out so far, seems to have a lot of unnecessary practices. If we stop those practices, considerable cost can be reduced because the hospital infection is achieved in the entire hospital and can be shifted to the practice which is necessary. Although identification of the unnecessary practices is very difficult, EBM (Evidence based medicine) provides us with useful information. "The re-distribution of the cost" referring to EBM seems to be very important to progress infection control.