[Visual communication in the prevention of cross infection: study performed at the intensive care unit of the Evangélic Hospital on Londrina].

The influence of posters with illustrations, instructions, and appeals for hand-washing was evaluated in terms of their effect on the frequency of occurrence this procedure, before the contact with the patients, in the Intensive Therapy Unit of the Hospital Evangélico, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. The influence of posters was statistically significant on the frequency of hand-washing by physicians, trained-nurses and laboratory technicians, but not in respect to physical-therapists, or blood-bank and X-ray technicians.