Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(3):146-149 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3843

Hygiene Training of Food Handlers in Hospital Settings: Important Factor in the Prevention of Nosocomial Infections

Konstansa Lazarević1,2, Dušica Stojanović2,3, Dragan C. Bogdanović1,2, Zana Ć. Dolićanin1
1 State University of Novi Pazar, Serbia
2 Public Health Institute Niš, Serbia
3 School of Medicine, University of Niš, Serbia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food hygiene training of food handlers on sanitary-hygienic conditions in hospital kitchens, based on microbiological analysis of smears taken in hospital kitchens. The study was conducted in the 1995-2009 period at the Clinical Centre Niš, Serbia. The food hygiene training was conducted in February 2005, by an infection control officer. 1,076 smears in the central kitchen and 4,025 smears in distributive kitchens were taken from hands and work clothes, work surfaces, equipment, and kitchen utensils. Microbiological analysis of smears was carried out in an accredited laboratory of the Public Health Institute Niš (Serbia). A significantly lower percentage of smears with isolates of bacteria (p<0.001) taken from hands and work clothes, work surfaces, equipment and kitchen utensils in the central and distributive kitchens was observed in the period following the food safety education programme (2005-2009). The most commonly isolated bacteria was: Enterobacter spp., Acinetobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., and E. coli. Our results confirmed that food hygiene training improved hygiene and is also an important component for the prevention of nosocomial infection.

Keywords: hygiene training, hospital, kitchen, smears

Received: September 14, 2012; Revised: June 6, 2013; Accepted: June 6, 2013; Published: September 1, 2013  Show citation

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Lazarević K, Stojanović D, Bogdanović DC, Dolićanin ZĆ. Hygiene Training of Food Handlers in Hospital Settings: Important Factor in the Prevention of Nosocomial Infections. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2013;21(3):146-149. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a3843. PubMed PMID: 24344539.
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