Final answer:
Hand washing and ensuring proper disinfection of items and surfaces are key to preventing the spread of resistant E. faecium in hospitals. Protective clothing and other standard infection control measures also play significant roles. Direct measures like wearing shoe covers or serving specific types of food have less impact on controlling this particular pathogen.
Step-by-step explanation:
Preventing the Spread of Resistant E. faecium
To prevent the spread of resistant Enterococcus faecium throughout a hospital, hospital personnel should adopt stringent hand hygiene practices, which is the most important defense against the spread of many pathogens. For hospital staff, this involves washing their hands both when entering and leaving a patient's room. It is not only about wearing personal protective equipment such as protective clothing, face protection, or gloves but also ensuring that handwashing is performed correctly and frequently. This reduces the transfer of bacteria and viruses, including antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA. Furthermore, proper disinfection of all items and surfaces that come into contact with patients is crucial to prevent surface and equipment contamination.
Simply wearing shoe covers or masks may not suffice, as these measures do not directly address hand hygiene. Additionally, serving raw fruit and salads is not directly associated with the transmission of E. faecium, though proper food handling practices are essential in preventing the spread of foodborne diseases. Following other standard infection control measures such as the use of a cooking thermometer to ensure food reaches the correct internal temperature can also be beneficial in broader pathogen control within a hospital setting.