May 5th, come to the staff lunchrooms to enjoy a tradition of a hand cookie – demonstrate your commitment to hand hygiene excellence!
High Five from Infection Control!
Why is hand hygiene important?
Hand hygiene refers to removing or killing microorganisms (germs) on the hands. When performed correctly, hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and infections. In health care, hand hygiene is used to eliminate transient microorganisms that have been picked up via contact with patients, contaminated equipment or the environment. Hand hygiene may be performed either by using soap and running water, or with alcohol-based hand rubs.
When should hand hygiene be performed?
In health care, hand hygiene is required:
- Before and after contact with any patient/resident, their body substances or items contaminated by them
- Between different procedures on the same patient/resident
- Before and after performing invasive procedures
- Before preparing, handling, serving or eating food or feeding a patient/resident
- After assisting patients/residents with personal care (e.g. assisting patient to blow nose, toileting or doing wound care)
- Before putting on and after taking off gloves
- After performing personal functions (e.g. using the toilet, blowing your nose)
- When hands come into contact with secretions, excretions, blood and body fluids (use soap and running water whenever hands are visibly soiled)
When should soap and water be used?
The mechanical action of washing, rinsing and drying removes transient bacteria present on the hands. Hand washing with soap and running water must be performed whenever hands are visibly soiled.
Any type of plain soap may be used. However, bar soaps are not acceptable in health care settings except for single patient/resident personal use. If used, bar soap should be kept in a self draining holder that is cleaned thoroughly before new bars are put out. Liquid soap containers should be used until empty and then discarded. Soap containers must not be topped up, as there is a risk of contamination of residual soap. Antibacterial soaps may be used in critical care areas such as ICU, or in other areas where invasive procedures are performed.
When should alcohol-based hand rubs be used?
Alcohol-based hand rubs/gels/rinses are the preferred method for decontaminating hands, provided they contain more than 60% alcohol. They are widely used in health care settings, or in situations where running water is not available. Using alcohol-based hand rub is better than washing hands (even with an antibacterial soap) when hands are not visibly soiled.
Won’t frequent hand hygiene dry my skin?
Intact skin is the first line of defence against microorganisms, hence it is important to maintain good skin care. To prevent chafing, wet your hands before applying soap and use a mild lotion soap with warm water; pat rather than rub hands dry; and apply lotion liberally and frequently. Skin lotions should be chosen that will not interfere with glove integrity.
Most alcohol-based hand rubs contain emollients to reduce the incidence of skin irritation. Frequen use of alcohol-based hand rub actually lessens the incidence of skin breakdown, as it does not subject hands to the friction and abrasion involved in hand washing and drying hands.
If an individual develops compromised skin integrity, he/she should be referred to Occupational Health for assessment.
