5 May 2014

Hand Hygiene
Awareness Day
HAND HYGIENE IS THE
SINGLE MOST
IMPORTANT MEANS FOR
PREVENTING THE
SPREAD OF INFECTION
HAND HYGIENE
DEFINITION:
Hand washing for hand hygiene is a term referring to any action of hand cleansing
A SINGLE PAIR OF UNWASHED HANDS CAN PUT A WHOLE HOSPITAL OR
HEALTHCARE FACILITY AT RISK!!!
NORMAL BACTERIAL SKIN FLORA
Normal human skin is colonized with bacteria.
Different areas have varied total bacterial counts
Average number of individual bacteria living on one square
centimeter of human skin: 10 million
PHYSIOLOGY OF NORMAL SKIN
FUNCTION OF THE SKIN
1. Protects
2. Reduces water loss
3. Acts as a permeable barrier to the environment
STRUCTURE
1. Superficial region
2. Viable epidermidis
3. The dermis
4. The hypodermis
FINGERNAILS
Studies have shown that nails, including chipped nail
polish and acrylic/gel nails can harbor potentially harmful
bacteria.
Nails must be kept short and clean
Nail polish must not be worn
Artificial/acrylic nails should not be worn
Nail brushes should not be used as skin could become damaged
WHY IS HAND HYGIENE SO IMPORTANT?
The most common way germs are spread is
by peoples hands
Germs can be harmless but can also cause
illness
colds, flu, diarrhea, etc
Washing your hand reduces the spread of
infection and protects you and those around
you
People of all ages must be encouraged to
wash
their hands at appropriate times
e.g. all visitors to the hospital
WHO MUST WASH THEIR HANDS????
All staff involved in patient care
Kitchen staff before and after
preparing meals
- after handling raw foods
- after handling refuse
Pharmacy before and after preparation
of medication
Porters and General assistants
Radiography staff
Physiotherapists
Biokineticists and speech therapists
HAND WASHING INDICATIONS
When hands are visibly soiled
After toilet use
Before and after performing invasive procedures
Before and after touching/treating wounds
Before and after contamination of hands
with mucous membranes, blood or body
fluids, secretion or excretions
Before and after gloving
After touching contaminated objects and surfaces
After caring for patients with MRSA, VRE, C.diff,
ESBLs
Between contacts with different patients
NON-COMPLIANCE FACTORS
Lack of education or experience
Lack of knowledge of guidelines
Lack of discipline/sanctions for
non compliance
Being a law unto their own
Agents cause skin irritation
Hand basins are inconveniently
placed / lack of hand
basins/not dedicated just for
hand washing
Often too busy/insufficient
time
Too repetitive
More important things to do
Lack of soap and paper
Understaffing / overcrowding
Patient needs take priority
Low risk of acquiring infection from
patient
Cant see germs
Wearing gloves anyway
Lack of role models
Attitude
Lack of responsibility
Lack of providing a safety climate
DEDICATED HWBs???
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE ADHERENCE
Engineering controls: HWB, Water, sink:
bed ratio
Availability of hand hygiene products
budget?
Education of staff, patients and visitors
Visible posters
Monitoring tool used
Efficacy and compliance of these
products
Enhance individual and institutional self-
efficacy
Promotional reminders and posters of
effective
hand hygiene
Annual HH surveillance
Routine observation and feedback
Standardized presentation used
Links to videos provided
Administrative
sanctions/rewarding
Avoid overcrowding,
understaffing and
excessive work load
Multimodal and multidisciplinary
approach
THE POWER OF ONE
A FINAL QUOTE
For any enquiry contact-
Qualitas Diagnostics Health & Wellness
Tel no.: +91 22 65306532/33
Email id:
corp@qualitasdiagnostics.com
admin@qualitasdiagnostics.com
Website:
www.qualitasdiagnostics.com