
In Germany, approximately 100,000 people are permanently dependent on dialysis due to chronic kidney failure [1]. As these patients require vascular access for haemodialysis - usually in the form of an arteriovenous fistula or central venous catheter (CVC) - and as this access is frequently used, they are particularly susceptible to bloodstream infections and local infections at the vascular access site. Unfortunately, there is little reliable data on appropriate infection prevention for this group of people. A group of researchers at the Charité in Berlin, Germany, investigated the effects of a multimodal prevention strategy on dialysis-associated infection events (DAIE) over a 24-month period [2]. The prevention strategy consisted of infection surveillance with regular feedback, open observation of hand hygiene (HH) with structured feedback on HH compliance, intensified training in aseptic procedures and a patient flyer on dialysis risk and access management.