What reduces potential pathogens on hands?
Show GUIDE TO INFECTION CONTROL IN THE HEALTHCARE SETTINGAuthors: Andrew J. Stewardson, MBBS, PhD, Didier Pittet, MD, MSChapter Editor: Shaheen Mehtar, MBBS, MRCPath, UK; FRC Path UK; FCPath (S Africa); MDChapter last updated: February 2018 KEY ISSUES
KNOWN FACTS
Hand Hygiene Hand hygiene is a general term that includes the appropriate use of handwashing, antiseptic handwashing, and antiseptic handrubbing.
Hand Antisepsis Hand antisepsis refers to either antiseptic handwashing or antiseptic handrubbing. Hand Disinfection Hand disinfection is a similar concept, but may cause confusion because disinfection usually refers to environmental decontamination; therefore hand antisepsis is preferred. Surgical hand preparationrefers to the procedure recommended to clean hands before performing surgery; it is, however, not discussed in this chapter. Compliance
Technique and Products
WHO Multimodal Hand Hygiene Strategy
SUGGESTED PRACTICEIn 2009, WHO released guidelines for hand hygiene in healthcare settings (available at http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/tools/9789241597906/en/). The guidelines are accompanied by an implementation guide and a suite of resources and tools to facilitate translation of recommendations into practice. The guidelines contain a series of recommendations, each of which is classified into four categories. The guidelines include indications for hand hygiene (see Table 6.1), surgical hand preparation, selection of hand hygiene agents, healthcare worker skin care and education, strategies for motivational programs, administrative measures, and recommended outcome or process measurements.
Footnote to Table 6.1 The system for categorizing recommendations is adapted from the CDC/HICPAC system as follows:
SUGGESTED PRACTICE IN UNDER-RESOURCED SETTINGSThe practices listed above apply to under-resourced settings. SUMMARYHand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection prevention. However, healthcare worker compliance is typically low in the absence of structured behavior change strategies. Improving hand hygiene practices constitutes one of the major challenges of infection control; it is, however, associated with decreased transmission and reduced infection rates and antimicrobial resistance transfer. Factors adversely affecting healthcare worker compliance with recommended practices include poor access to sinks and hand hygiene materials, time required to perform conventional handwashing with soap and water, time constraint associated with a high intensity of patient care, and a high number of opportunities for hand hygiene per hour of care on a single patient in critical care. Availability of an alcohol-based handrub at the point of care is recommended to improve compliance. Alcohol-based handrubbing is currently recommended as the primary tool for hand hygiene action and promotion because it reduces bacterial counts on hands more effectively than plain or antimicrobial soaps, can be made more accessible than sinks and other handwashing facilities, requires less time to use, and causes less skin irritation and dryness than washing hands with soap and water. Rubbing the hands together until the agent has dried is the essential part of the technique. Both easy access to hand hygiene facilities and the availability of skin care lotion appear to be necessary prerequisites for appropriate hand hygiene behavior. The promotion of alcohol-based handrubs at the point of care contributed significantly to an increase in compliance both in several clinical studies and in nationwide hand hygiene promotion campaigns. The availability of a handrub alone however, is insufficient to obtain sustained improvement in hand hygiene practices. Multimodal strategies are indicated and include: 1) system change, including alcohol-based handrub at the point of care; 2) education and training; 3) observation and performance feedback; 4) reminders in the workplace; and 5) patient safety climate. This approach involves a system change to make hand hygiene a priority, with alcohol-based hand rub as standard of care. REFERENCES
What item that helps reduce the risk of contamination from hands?Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands. This helps prevent infections because: People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it.
What is the best agent to reduce bacteria on hands?Which is better, hand sanitizer or handwashing? Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to remove all types of germs and chemicals. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
How can hand disease be prevented?Prevention. Reduce your force and relax your grip. If your work involves a cash register or keyboard, for instance, hit the keys softly. ... . Take short, frequent breaks. Gently stretch and bend hands and wrists periodically. ... . Watch your form. ... . Improve your posture. ... . Change your computer mouse. ... . Keep your hands warm.. What pathogens are found on hands?Human hands are a conduit for exchanging microorganisms between the environment and the body. Hands can harbor pathogenic species, including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli; particularly within high risk environments, such as healthcare and food-handling settings [10].
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