Latin America sets hand washing world record
Latin America set a New Guinness World Record for the most people washing their hands at the same time. According to the Pan American Health Organization, 740,870 people cleaned their hands simultaneously in different corners of Latin America in October 2011.
Guinness certified the world record at the end of last year.
The public health organization said three countries in particular – Peru, Argentina and Mexico –organised thousands of students to take part in the event, which highlighted the
importance of hand washing in schools and coincided with Global Handwashing Day.
The last record holder for hand washing was Bangladesh in 2009, which saw 52,970 people wash their hands at the same time.
Shut before you flush, says study
According to a new study, we should always put the lid down on the toilet when we flush to prevent the spread of Clostridium difficile.
The research was carried out by the Microbiology Department at Leeds General Infirmary, in the UK, and was then published in the International Journal of Hospital Infection. Using fecal suspensions of C.difficile, the researchers measured airborne suspension of the bacteria in addition to surface contamination by the bacteria after flushing of both lidless and lidded toilets.
Air samples 25cm above the toilet, approximately the height of the toilet handle, contained C.difficile, with the highest numbers coming from samples taken immediately after flushing.
Researchers also found the number of viable bacteria to be 12-fold higher from open toilets compared with the same toilet when the lid was closed.
The airborne bacteria can settle on virtually any surface, from sink to towels and toothbrushes.
Hospital-related infections are the sixth leading cause of death in USA
According to one of the latest reports issued by the US government, about two million people in the US alone are inflicted with hospital acquired infections, out of which 100,000 meet certain death.
This has now become a major cause of serious concern, since this can be prevented to a large extent by the hospitals themselves. The government has now made it mandatory for all hospitals to reveal the exact figures, if they want government funding for medical care to continue as before.
Many patients who come for some minor surgeries unfortunately become victims of hospital infections due to improper hygiene maintenance. Using faulty catheters, improper sterilization of tracheotomy tubes, and other methods of intervention are the major causes of hospital related infections. For example, approximately 250,000 infections are acquired from catheters every year, of which a shocking 31,000 lead to inevitable death. The staff are sometimes negligent about the sterilization of OT equipments, fumigation and sterilization
procedures, which gives rise to very potent bacteria such as MRSA.
Hospitals have now been issued with a new reporting system by the government, which will also be made available to the public for evaluation. Hospitals that have improper records and fail to follow the norms will also face a 2% loss in funding, as of 2013. An estimated two million contract hospitals acquired infections and spend about $6.5 billion extra to treat such affected patients.
The future of our cleaning industry | TOMORROW’S CLEANING | 19 WORLD NEWS
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