Wake等描述了一次在新西兰汉密尔顿新生儿的加强监护中心(ICU)发生的流行性粘质沙雷菌感染。他们的报导中,对ICU感染的控制强调了几个重要的原则。当ICU发生交叉感染时,感染源通常认为是感染者或带菌者而不认为是环境中无作用的宿主,在此宿主中细菌可以存活但不能繁殖(虽然,潮湿处如雾化器、水槽、静脉输液管和压力变换器有时对革兰阴性细菌起着贮藏所的作用)。洗手病人间细菌的传播大多是通过医护人员的手;仅观看一个患者的探视者做为交叉感染上的原因并不甚重要。很明显,预防病原菌传播最重要的方法是仔细地洗手。然而,尽管对洗手的重要性已有明显的证据,而ICU的工作人员常常不洗手,在接触患者 Wake et al. Described an episode of Serratia marcescens in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for newborns in Hamilton, New Zealand. In their reports, the control of ICU infections highlighted several important principles. In the case of ICU cross-infection, the source of infection is often considered an infected person or carrier and not considered an inactive host in the environment where the bacteria can survive but not multiply (although humid places such as nebulizers, sinks, Intravenous fluid tubes and pressure transducers sometimes act as a cache for Gram-negative bacteria). The spread of bacteria among handwashing patients is mostly through the hands of health care workers; it is not important for viewers to see only one patient as the cause of cross-infection. Obviously, the most important way to prevent the spread of pathogens is to wash your hands carefully. However, while there is clear evidence of the importance of handwashing, and ICU staff often do not wash hands,