Medical Asepsis in Handwashing
By Shannon Berkemeyer
Mrs. Pearl Larosa
PNT 120
Fundamental of Nursing I
Abstract
Feces, viruses, staph, Salmonella and hand-foot-mouth disease. These are just a few of the things that can be on our hands from normal daily living. With compromised immune systems, open wounds and other issues, these are very harmful. That is why it is so important to keep proper hand hygiene in mind at all times. Hospital infections affect almost two million people in the United States every year, 100,000 of whom die. Up to 70 percent of infections could be prevented if the health care workers follow recommended protocol (Michigan Health Lab, May 26, 2016). Nobody wants to know that when your food has
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Obviously soap and warm water for 20 seconds or hand sanitizer. I will admit I was one of those that didn’t classify “handwashing” as using hand sanitizer, to me washing is soap and water, but it is considered washing and sometimes much more convenient than to be at a sink. But with all that in mind, we also need to remember when it is appropriate to use hand sanitizer. Alcohol based sanitizer kills most of the bad germs, but it does not kill C. difficile, a common healthcare-associated infection that causes diarrhea (CDC, May 5, 2017). If you are caring for a patient with this illness, then you must wash your hands with the real soap and water, no shortcuts! As well as when our hands are visibly soiled. Who wants to walk around with dirty hands anyway? In 2009, Cambridge University did a study correlating on compliance and no compliance with handwashing hygiene and guidelines in hospital care. There were 96 empirical studies, most of which were done in ICU units. They found and overall compliance of 40%. Unadjusted compliance rates were lower in intensive care units (30%-40%0, than in other settings (50%-60%), lower among physicians (32%) than among nurses and before (21%) rather than after (47%) patient contact. The majority of the time, the situations that were associated with low compliance rates were those with a high activity level/or those in which the physician was involved. The majority of the time, the situations that were associated with a higher compliance rate were those having to do with dirty tasks, the introduction of alcohol-based hand rub or gel, performance feedback and accessibility of materials (Cambridge, March
• Wash your hands thoroughly before and after preparing food and after using the bathroom. Make sure people who live with you wash their hands often too. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
Health tips. Hand hygiene. (2009). Mayo Clinic Health Letter (English Ed.), 27(12), 3. Retrieved from
This literature review will analyze and critically explore four studies that have been conducted on hand hygiene compliance rates by Healthcare workers (HCWs). Firstly, it will look at compliance rates for HCWs in the intensive care units (ICU) and then explore the different factors that contribute to low hand hygiene compliance. Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) or Nosocomial Infections appear worldwide, affecting both developed and poor countries. HAIs represent a major source of morbidity and mortality, especially for patients in the ICU (Hugonnet, Perneger, & Pittet, 2002). Hand hygiene can be defined as any method that destroys or removes microorganisms on hands (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). According to the World Health Organization (2002), a HAI can be defined as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other health care facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. The hands of HCWs transmit majority of the endemic infections. As
One simple way that nurses can help to stop the spread of C. diff is by ensuring that hand hygiene is taken seriously. It has been shown that alcohol-based hand rubs may be ineffective against the C. difficile spores. This means that a nurse’s routines may not focus as much on “gelling in and gelling out” but on “gelling in, gelling out and washing.” Hands should be washed with an antimicrobial soap for at least 15 seconds, but 30 seconds is preferable. It’s also important that the nurse takes the time to educate the patients and the patients family members about the importance of hand hygiene and proper technique.
Healthcare-associated infections can occur in any type of healthcare facility. It usually begins from cross contamination from healthcare providers to the patient, however, it can come from other patients, hazardous medical procedures, and contaminated surgical tools too. Healthcare workers play the leading role in preventing healthcare-associated infections. Srigley et al. (2013) stated that “Healthcare worker (HCW) hand hygiene is considered to be one of the most important interventions for the prevention of HAIs and AROs. However HCW hand hygiene is typically poor, with a median compliance of 40%, and few interventions have been demonstrated to result in significant and sustained improvement” In order to
Wash your hands frequently, especially after toilet visits, caring a sick person or changing diapers and before eating or preparing
Microorganisms are multicellular and unicellular microscopic organisms. Microorganism are all over the world and hold helpful and harmful effects as well. Microorganisms keep the environment sanitary by eliminating pollutants from water and earth, and remove all of the remaining material from dead plant, animals, and humans. ("Bacteria Basics - They Are Alive!" Web. 22 Mar. 2016). These harmful organisms are called germs.. Many disease like chicken pox and cancer are caused by germs. Sicknesses triggered by viruses can easily spread from one person to another. Some of the beneficial things that microorganism do happens to be that In the human body they support the process of digestion and help prevent the possibility
The systematic review; Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care, conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration investigated inventions to improve hand hygiene compliance within patient care. The review included 2 original studies with an additional two new studies (Gould & Moralejo et al., 2010). Throughout the review it was affirmed that among hand hygiene is an indispensable method in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections (HAI), the compliance among nurses’ is inadequate. Nurses are identified within the public as dependable and trustworthy in a time of vulnerability due to their specialised education and skills (Hughes, 2008). Thus, it is imperative that evidence based practice is cond...
Medical asepsis plays an integral role in infection control within a health care facility. It includes procedures used to decrease and prevent direct contact with blood or bodily fluids and emphasizes keeping the environment clean on a regular basis (Curchoe, Astle, & Hobbs, 2014). In order to achieve optimal health, individuals depend on practices and techniques that control and ultimately prevent the transmission of infection. These practices and techniques can help avoid the transmission of infections by creating an environment that protects both health care workers and patients from communicable diseases. Good hand hygiene has been stressed as the single most important measure to prevent cross-infection to patients in health care facilities
“Researchers in London estimate that if everyone routinely washed their hands, a million deaths a year could be prevented” (“Hygiene Fast Facts”, 2013, p. 1). Hands are the number one mode of transmission of pathogens. Hands are also vital in patient interaction, and therefore should be kept clean to protect the safety of patients and the person caring for the patient. Hand hygiene is imperative to professional nursing practice because it prevents the spread of pathogens, decreases chances of hospital-acquired infections, and promotes patient safety. There is a substantial amount of evidence that shows why hand hygiene is important in healthcare
Lastly, proactively practicing personal hygiene. Washing hands is crucial when handling, cooking, preparing and storing foods. The purpose of practicing personal hygiene is to avoid coming in contact with Salmonella. The build up, of bodily fluids, salvia, blood or feces and dirt on our hands and other body sites can be transferred and contaminate foods, leading to a foodborne illness outbreak of
Effective hand washing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs and to keep you from getting sick, because it prevents transmission of pathogens. But what exactly is the most effective way to wash hands?
During the H1N1 pandemic occurred in the early 2000s, the government and health organizations have advocated in raising the awareness of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene to the public. Antibacterial products were introduced to prevent infection towards illnesses to kill and prevent the invasion and spread of bacteria. According to the FDA, antibacterial soap is a product that contains chemicals which help in killing bacteria (“Antibacterial Soap? You Can Skip It…”, n.d.). Healthcare companies heavily advertised these antibacterial soaps for their bacteria prevention benefits, convincing the public of its effective use. However, recent studies have raised suspicion among the public – casting doubts on its healthy claims. In December 2016,
A list of chores is pinned on the refrigerator for me to complete before my mom gets home from work. I have vacuumed the carpet, cleaned my room, and swept the floor, but my least favorite chore remains: washing the dishes. It would be quick and easy to stick the filthy dishes in the dishwasher; however, the dishwasher is broken. Instead, the mountain of food-covered dishes will have to be scrubbed clean by hand. I will have to prepare the supplies, scrape off the remaining food, rinse and dry the dishes, and put them back into their correct spot in the cupboards and drawers. Washing the dishes is a messy and burdensome process every household must suffer through, unless they want to eat off of paper plates for the rest of their lives.
Excellent hygiene in nursing homes is a must. Residents that live there can easily get sick due to their medical condition, or they have a poor immune system. With all different types of bacteria and germs spread throughout a day, residents can be affected in a negative way. So with personal experience and some research, I am able to present to you the importance of hygiene of the residents' in nursing home care.