1. Hand Washing By Shauna O’Sullivan

2. Hand Washing Single most effective way to break the chain of infection

3. Joseph Lister British surgeon Made link between lack of cleanliness in hospitals and deaths after operations Pioneer of antiseptic surgery Listerine mouthwash and Listeria named after him

5. Why is cleaning your hands important? Bacteria that cause hospital acquired infections – Frequently spread from one patient to another by healthcare workers Cleaning your hands before and after contact with patients – Important measure in preventing the spread of bacteria

6. Does handwashing reduce the spread of bacteria? Yes !!!!! – Studies have shown that washing your hands between patients reduces the spread of germs in the hospital

7. Many personnel don’t realize when they have germs on their hands We can get 100’s of different types of germs on our hands by doing simple tasks: – Taking a blood pressure or pulse – Touching a patient’s hand – Rolling patients over in bed – Touching the patients gown or sheets – Touching equipment like bedside rails, over-bed tables, IV pumps

8. Sample of germs from a nurses hand Culture plate showing growth of germs – This growth occurred 24 hours after a nurse placed her hand on the plate

9. Patients often carry resistant germs on their skin Patients with resistant germs like methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) – Often carry the germ on many areas of their skin, even when they don’t have any wounds or broken skin

10. Hand Washing Purpose: To remove dirt, organic material, and transient bacteria on your hands

11. When do you wash your hands? When hands are visibly soiled Before and after contact with a patient Before and after touching wounds After contact with mucus membranes, blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions After handling objects that are likely soiled (stethoscopes) After removing gloves Before and after using the restroom

12. How to Wash Hands When washing hands with plain or anti-microbial soap: – Wet hands first with water (avoid HOT water) – Apply a nickel or quarter-sized amount of soap to hands – Rub hands together for at least 15 seconds – Cover all surfaces of the hands and fingers – Rinse hands with water and dry thoroughly – Use paper towel to turn off water faucet

13. Alcohol based Handrubs CDC guidelines recommend: – Healthcare workers use an alcohol-based handrub (a gel, rinse or foam) to routinely clean their hands between patient contacts, as long as hands are not dirty

14. Alcohol-based Handrubs Advantages Requires ~ 15 seconds of time Handrubs can be placed in convenient locations, making the product readily accessible So, one of the advantages of using alcohol handrubs is that they require much less time to use

15. How to Use an Alcohol-based Handrub Apply nickel or quarter-sized amount of an alcohol gel or rinse to the palm of one hand, and rub hands together Cover all surfaces of your hands and fingers include areas around/under fingernails Continue rubbing hands together until alcohol dries If you have applied a sufficient amount of alcohol hand-rub, it should take at least 10 -15 seconds of rubbing before your hands feel dry

16. Any Questions??