[Current problems of hospital health]

In addition to the original assignments, as prevention of bacterial infections, hospital hygiene nowadays has to be concerned with the reduction of infection risks for the medical staff. AIDS isn't only a tremendous threat to the society, but may severely influence bone and joint surgery. The indications for surgical procedures have to be thoroughly investigated just as the question, whether and under what circumstances there is a ethical obligation to perform surgery on HIV-positive patients. To further reduce the remaining risk of HIV-transmission by blood transfusions, all available techniques for decreasing intraoperative blood loss and retransfusion of the patients own blood have to be investigated and applied. Aside from blood, postoperative wound secretions hide the highest infection potential for HIV-transmission to nurses in orthopaedic wards. Therefore we have to focus our attention on the techniques and instruments of wound drainage to protect the patients from wound infections and the staff members from HIV-transmission as well. Disconnections of the drainage lines should be eliminated, at least reduced to the very minimum by using adequate drainage equipments.