ABSTRACT
A new edition of infection control manual was brought out after months of reviewing the utility of the preceding edition. Using the new manual, a series of study meetings were held with the aim of raising awareness among the personnel of infection prevention.Preventive measures have been changing with rapid advances in medical treatment. The old manual, which had undergone revision repeatedly, was not utilized fully. In view of the situation, questionnaires were distributed to all the members of the hospital staff (n=447) to investigate the reasons why the manual had not been utilized. Although many respondents were of the opinion that the old manual was out of date, too thick, and unreadable, 44.7% said they had used it. 55.3% answered that they had asked their superiors or colleagues out of necessity. Based on these results, we started making a compilation of a new manual, easy to understand and friendly to the users. It took about six months to complete it. Copies of the new manual were given to all the staff members. In the study meetings, various subjects were taken up for discussion, including the definition of nosocominal infection, “universal precaution,” how to effectively wash your hands, how to keep the rest rooms clean, how to wear the gloves and mask, and so forth. We believe that the personnel’s consciousness of infection prevention was further raised by holding the study meetings.