Despite initial resistance from his colleagues, Semmelweis persisted in his efforts to implement hand hygiene practices. He installed hand-washing stations and required doctors to wash their hands before entering the maternity ward. As a result, the mortality rate from puerperal fever decreased significantly, from 18% to 2%.
The department is equipped with state-of-the-art neuroimaging (3T MRI, CT perfusion), neurophysiology (routine and long-term EEG, evoked potentials, polysomnography), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, including autoimmune and paraneoplastic antibody panels.
The story of Ignaz Semmelweis is one of the most poignant tragedies in medical history—a man who discovered the "how" of life-saving hygiene before science could explain the "why." While his work predates the formalization of neurology, his tragic end and the modern university named in his honor bridge these worlds. The Shadow in the Ward
Semmelweis instituted a simple, revolutionary rule: every doctor must wash their hands in a chlorinated lime solution before touching a patient. The results were miraculous, with mortality rates plummeting.