Control of infection in the community.

A district nurse encounters a wide variety of environments in which to provide care. Changing the home environment requires considerable skill as the nurse really is the guest in the home. A sound body of knowledge is required in the areas of microbiology and immunology to enable infection and contamination risks to be assessed in the community. This knowledge may not be there in the mature nurse, trained many years ago. Resources are frequently limited and may be abused. Practice may primarily be based on ritual and tradition. Perhaps to some extent those working in the community are enjoying a false sense of security regarding the incidence of infection. The more recent concern relating to infection risk from HIV and Hepatitis B has made nurses question their actions, this can only be of benefit. The increasing quantity of clinical waste and toxic substances and incidence of infection hazard must surely cause those with concern for health in the community to examine practices previously unquestioned. Some priority should be given to equipping staff with both the knowledge and resources they need.