INFECTION-CONTROL IN COUNTRIES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES

Considerable progress has been made in the development of effective ho spital infection control programs in countries with limited resources, most notably in Asia and Latin America. National nosocomial infection surveillance methods are now used in a variety of countries, particul arly in Brazil, and offer a better measure for evaluating the rates of common nosocomial infections and gauging the effect of prevention eff orts. Extending these achievements to other hospitals that presently l ack effective programs is an organizational and logistic challenge for the future. Newer, daunting problems are the prevention and control o f antimicrobial resistance and nosocomial transmission of tuberculosis . Improvements in the protection of healthcare workers from exposure t o bloodborne pathogens, research regarding the safety and efficacy of the reuse of single-use items, and more practical and affordable metho ds for sterilization and disinfection are needed. (C) 1998 Lippincott- Raven Publishers.