According to WHO, lack of -or wrong - hand hygiene is the single biggest cause of infections in hospitals and nursing homes. Studies show that only 50-60% of care staff perform proper hand hygiene. A focused and structured approach to hygiene as well as methods of infection prevention can contribute to a reduction in health care associated infections.
Why is proper hand hygiene important?
Insufficient hand hygiene is one of the most common causes for spread of infectious diseases, while good hand hygiene is the most important factor in preventing spread of microbes.
A holistic approach to hand hygiene includes a structured approach to the acts of washing, disinfecting, and drying the hands as well as caring for skin and nails. If you encounter the flu, colds, coughing, running noses or diarrhea in your surroundings, extra attention should be paid to hand hygiene.
In addition, proper hand hygiene is an essential part of good personal hygiene.
Hand Hygiene - Timing is of the essence
Studies show timing is essential for maintaining good hand hygiene. While particularly important for the health care sector, all industries should observe the following basic rules for good hand hygiene:
- Wash/disinfect your hands when you arrive from the outside
- Wash/disinfect your hands before participating in meals
- Wash/disinfect your hands when you have been to the bathroom
- Wash/disinfect your hands before and after patient contact in the health care sector
Hand hygiene: Compliance and habits
Even though established guidelines for handwashing and/or disinfection exist in most health care settings, correct hand hygiene is often difficult to carry out in practice. WHO estimates that only about 50-60 % have strict adherence to hand hygiene guidelines.
Most people know hand hygiene is important, and most people want to live up to high standards of hand hygiene, but few people actually comply. The reasons vary.
Some people forget, either because it is not a habit, they are too busy, or there are not enough places to wash or disinfect (no easy access). Since pathogens and microbes on the hands are not visible to the naked eye, hygiene is a difficult area to regulate.
Creating a habit and culture for hand hygiene in the workplace is essential.
- Tip: Accessibility is important. Make it easy to practice good hygiene by providing enough disinfection dispensers in the right places
Gloves are your best friend
Gloves should be worn by health care givers when performing any tasks related to personal hygiene or handling bodily fluids. They can be used for clean and unclean tasks to protect both caregiver and patient from contagion and contaminants. Just remember to:
- Put on the gloves before starting the task
- Change the gloves when going from an unclean ask to a clean task
- Throw the gloves away right after use
- Wash or disinfect hands immediately after completion of task
Taking good care of skin and nails
Take good care of your hands and nails to ensure healthy skin and to remove bacteria from under the nails. It is very important to keep the skin on the hands clean and healthy to avoid dry, chapped skin and avoid development of ulcers. Ingrown nails can result in ulcers that are difficult to heal.
If you wash your hands a lot, be sure take care of the nails as part of a daily hygiene regimen. Use lotion to protect the skin on the hands and around the nails, and use a moisturizer that is extra high in lipids during the night if your hands require extra care
- Check hands ulcers, chapped skin and impurities under and around the nails and check if the cuticles need extra care
- Dry, rough or chapped skin requires regular skin care - use a moisturizer that is high in in lipids every day.
- Use of soap can dry out the skin. When washing hands, you can add oil to warm water and soak for just a short time. Dry carefully and always use a moisturizer.
- Take special care of the cuticles. They protect the nails from bacteria that can cause inflammation or damage to the nails. If the cuticles are rough, chapped or fractured, treat them moisturizer or ointment daily.
Drying the hands – paper vs dryers
Wet or moist hands transport more microorganisms than dry hands. Hands should always be dried immediately after washing and in a gentle manner to avoid friction between skin and towel, but the efficiency of depends on how and how long they are dried.
The most hygienic choice is single-use paper towels, as they are the safe, gentle and efficient choice that does not spread microorganisms to the hands or the surroundings. They should be disposed of in a safe manner immediately after use.
Multi-use towels can spread microorganisms to the hands as well as the surroundings and contribute to spread of infection. Hand dryers can spread microorganisms to the hands and the surroundings in a radius of up to 1.5. meters (5 feet). In addition, the warm air can actually increase the moisture levels on the hands, contributing to the growth of microorganisms.
Read more about why paper is the hygienic choice
Recommended by ABENA
Nothing can replace proper personal hygiene, but gloves and protective wear are essential aids in protecting yourself in the workplace
Wear the correct gloves for all care procedures and change the gloves when they are visibly dirty and whenever leaving the patient or residents room.
Protective wear: Use approved protective wear to protect the patient and the caregiver. Make sure you have the right products at your disposal – and you know when to use them.