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December 4-10, 2011

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko FACFAS, MBA, CMP™

[Editor-in-Chief]

Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the transmission of disease, especially during influenza season. And, public health officials are using National Hand Washing Awareness Week, December 4-10, as an opportunity to remind people – and medical professionals – about this simple and inexpensive disease prevention technique.

“Hand washing helps prevent catching and spreading colds, the flu, hepatitis A, meningitis, and infectious diarrhea, as well as many other diseases” and “it also reduces the chances of acquiring a community acquired, nosocomial, surgical or hospital acquired infection [HAI]” says Hope Rachel Hetico RN MHA CMP™ of this Medical Executive Post.

When to Wash

From the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], here in Atlanta:

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• Before you insert or remove contact lenses
• After you use the bathroom or change a diaper
• After handling uncooked foods, especially meat, poultry or fish
• After handling animals or animal waste
• After you handle garbage or dirty laundry, and;
• When your hands are dirty.

How to Wash

Hetico also says: “The most effective way to wash your hands is to wet them and apply a liquid or clean bar soap. Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15-30 seconds to dislodge and remove germs, and then rinse your hands well and dry them.”

Furthermore, according to http://www.salmonellablog.com and the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Epidemiologist, Becky Coffman, RN, MPH, “You can infect yourself when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth after your hands have picked up germs from other sources such as people, uncooked foods or contaminated environmental areas,” Coffman said. “One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus.”

http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/The-Daily-Dose/2011/December/wash-em-for-handwashing-awareness-week.aspx

For Medical Professionals, Too!

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2001/05/how-to-perform-surgical-hand-scrubs.aspx

And, for the medical folks among us, Debra Hudson CST demonstrates how to do a surgical hand scrub:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQtyF-eh3po

Assessment

I edited a popular medical textbook on bone and soft tissue extremity infections, back in the day. And, it infuriates me when I see doctors – not so much nurses – not wash their hands or indiscriminately introduce external fomites into the patient environment.

I’ve even witnessed ID doctors wander from patient room to room without so much as a pause between dressing changes or wound inspections.

Remember, colleague David Schwegman MD at Emory University reports that an HAI adds about $14,000 to the average hospital bill; discounting patient pain and disfigurement.   

http://www.welchallyn.com/documents/Blood%20Pressure%20Management/FlexiPort%20Blood%20Pressure%20Cuffs/ICT_article2_OLC.pdf

Conclusion       

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Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Quality Initiatives | Tagged: HAIs, hospital acquired infections, National Hand Washing Awareness Week, nosocomial infections |