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HAND HYGIENE A SCREENSHOT

DR SOMANSU BASU, MD, DMM (France), CIC (USA)SPECIALIST PATHOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGYNMC SPECIALTY HOSPITALAL AIN, UAE

Maternal Mortality due to Postpartum Infection General Hospital, Vienna, Austria, 1841-1850

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MDs Midwives

Semmelweis’ Hand Hygiene Intervention

~ Hand antisepsis reduces the frequency of patient infections ~

Adapted from: Hosp Epidemiol Infect Control, 2nd Edition, 1999.

The Intervention:Hand scrub with chlorinated

lime solution

Hand hygiene basin at the Lying-In Women’s Hospital in Vienna, 1847.

The Iceberg Effect

Infected

Colonized

Colonized or Infected:What is the Difference?

People who carry bacteria without evidence of infection (fever, increased white blood cell count) are colonized

If an infection develops, it is usually from bacteria that colonize patients

Bacteria that colonize patients can be transmitted from one patient to another by the hands of healthcare workers

~ Bacteria can be transmitted even if the patient is not infected ~

Resident skin flora 

micro-organisms which live in deep crevices and hair follicles, known as skin flora.

most are bacteria of low pathogenicity, such as coagulase-negative staphylococci.

not readily transferred to other people and most are not easily removed by washing with soap.

do not need to be removed from the hands during routine clinical care.

during invasive procedures, e.g. minor surgery, there is a risk that resident micro-organisms may enter the patient’s tissues and cause an infection.

Transient skin flora  micro-organisms acquired on the hands through contact with

other sites on the same individual, from other people, or from the environment.

easily acquired by touch, and readily transferred to the next person or surface touched, so may be responsible for the transmission of infection.

removal of transient micro-organisms is therefore essential in preventing cross-infection, and their removal is easily achieved by washing with soap and water.

Hand Hygiene

Advantages:1.Greater antimicrobial efficacy2.Available at point of care3.Faster use4.Better tolerability by the skin

ARE ALCOHOL-BASED SANITISERS GOOD ENOUGH?

YES

Thus, alcohol-based hand rubs can be used as a rapid method of removing microorganisms from the hands.

Proper Ways of Using Hand Sanitizer

Glove use does not replace the need to perform hand hygiene.

ORNAMENTS AND HAND HYGIENE

Irritant dermatitis can occur after repeated use of hand-hygiene products

THE CHAIN OF INFECTION AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MODEL

What is the single most important reason for healthcare workers to practice good hand

hygiene? 1. To remove visible soiling from hands

2. To prevent transfer of bacteria from the home to the hospital

3. To prevent transfer of bacteria from the hospital to the home

4. To prevent infections that patients acquire in the hospital

What is the single most important reason for healthcare workers to practice good hand

hygiene?

1. To remove visible soiling from hands

2. To prevent transfer of bacteria from the home to the hospital

3. To prevent transfer of bacteria from the hospital to the home

4. To prevent infections that patients acquire in the hospital

When a healthcare worker touches a patient who is COLONIZED, but not

infected with resistant organisms (e.g., MRSA or VRE) the HCW’s hands are a

source for spreading resistant organisms to other patients.

1. Strongly agree

2. Agree

3. Don’t know

4. Disagree

5. Strongly disagree

When a healthcare worker touches a patient who is COLONIZED, but not

infected with resistant organisms (e.g., MRSA or VRE) the HCW’s hands are a

source for spreading resistant organisms to other patients.

1. Strongly agree

2. Agree

3. Don’t know

4. Disagree

5. Strongly disagree

How often do you clean your hands after touching an ENVIRONMENTAL

SURFACE near a patient (for example, a countertop or bedrail)?

1. Always

2. Often

3. Sometimes

4. Never

How often do you clean your hands after touching an ENVIRONMENTAL

SURFACE near a patient (for example, a countertop or bedrail)?

1. Always

2. Often

3. Sometimes

4. Never

How often do you clean your hands after touching a PATIENT’S INTACT SKIN (for

example, when measuring a pulse or blood pressure)?

1. 1. Always

2. Often

3. Sometimes

4. Never

How often do you clean your hands after touching a PATIENT’S INTACT SKIN (for

example, when measuring a pulse or blood pressure)?

1. Always

2. Often

3. Sometimes

4. Never

Glove use for all patient care contacts is a useful strategy for reducing risk of

transmission of organisms.

1. Strongly agree

2. Agree

3. Don’t know

4. Disagree

5. Strongly disagree

Glove use for all patient care contacts is a useful strategy for reducing risk of

transmission of organisms.

1. Strongly agree

2. Agree

3. Don’t know

4. Disagree

5. Strongly disagree

Clean Hands Save Lives

Keeping our hands clean is one of the most important things we can do to keep from getting sick and from spreading germs to others.