Healthcare EstablishmentHygiene The return of the bugs? A shining example in hospitals Continued fromPage 18.
clean their hands before and after entering the ward. They should also use hand wipes or hand gel before touching the patient. Hospital staff should thoroughly wash and dry their hands before and after caring for a patient or touching any po-
tentially contaminated equipment or dressings. The hospital environment should be kept as clean and dry as possi- ble, and a hand wash should always follow bed-making and precede the handling of any food. A fast-acting hand wipe or hand gel can be used on hands that are not visibly dirty, otherwise soap and water should be used accord- ing to NHS guidelines. Anyone visiting a patient with a suspected case of C.difficile should wash their hands with soap and water when
entering and leaving ward areas. Surfaces thatmay have come into contact with C.difficile bacteria or spores such as toilets, toilet floors, bedpans
and beds should be cleaned thoroughly with water and a bleach-based product, says the NHS. Healthcare workers should wear disposable gloves and aprons when caring for anyone who has a C. difficile infection and staff, patients and visitors should be encouraged to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly. Alcohol hand gel is not effective against C. difficile spores so the use of soap and water here is essential. So hand washing is a key factor in controlling the superbugs - andmedical staff need to be supplied with effective
systems and facilities tomake this process as quick and seamless as possible. Soap dispensers should be easy to use and ensure a plentiful supply to prevent the risk of soap running out. Tork
ExtraMild FoamSoap, for example, contains 2500 doses of soap per refill -more than double the number con- tained in a liquid soap dispenser of the same size. Thismeans the soap is less likely to run out betweenmainte- nance checks. The soap is housed in a Tork Elevation dispenser that has been purpose-designed to allow people with reduced hand strength to easily access the soap inside. This facilitates good hand hygiene practices for every- one in the hospital, even patients who are frail and elderly. Soft towels such as Tork Soft Singlefold Hand Towels - themost popular hand towel choice within the NHS - help
to improve hand drying compliance since the towels are soft and absorbent. Thismeans that staff, patients and visi- tors are less likely to leave their hands damp after washing - a practice that could provide a breeding ground for bacteria. The extra soft version of the Tork XpressMultifold Hand Towel is particularly suitable for intensive care wards
since it provides an extra gentle hand dry. Amore abrasive towel heremight discourage frequent hand washing since it would increase the risk of skin conditions, such as occupational dermatitis. In cases when a hospital worker’s hands need to be sanitised and a water supply is not readily available, an alco-
hol gel such as Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitiser is a good supplement for hand hygiene regimes. Since the introduction ofmandatory surveillance ofMRSA and C.difficile in 2004, figures for both have steadily de-
clined.MRSA infections were at their highest in 2003 when 7700 cases were reported. This figure went down to 924 in the year toMarch 2013. And the highest number of episodes for C. difficile in a single year - 57,247 - was recorded in 2007, while the latest annual figure for C.difficile was amere 5974. This decline in the number of cases of both superbugs has been achieved, it is claimed, through imposing strict
hand hygiene regimes andmaking changes to the way in whichmedical devices aremanaged. Hand hygiene is only part of the solution for reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections - but it is a crucial part. By continuing to im- pose,monitor and adhere to strict hand hygiene regimes, we are giving ourselves a fighting chance of staving off the next superbug that comes along.
References
[1]
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/levels-of-healthcare-acquired-mrsa-and-c-difficile-infections- remain-stable. [2]
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/MRSA/Pages/Prevention.aspx. [3]
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Clostridium-difficile/Pages/Prevention.aspx.
www.tork.co.uk
Hygiene is obviously paramount in health- care establishments, and so is efficiency. With the Sebo Dart UHS polisher, the need for wet mopping is substantially reduced while vacuuming and polishing are com- bined without the need to seal areas off during cleaning. The Sebo Dart UHS polisher uses HTC
twister floor pads, incorporating micro-di- amonds to polish the floor. This, in combi- nation with the automatic height control of the machine, eliminates the need for the use of chemicals or liquids and creates a super smooth floor surface, minimising the potentially biologically active surface area. The absence of liquids has huge hy- giene benefits as well as complying fully with health and safety issues. Water and fluids can compromise the hygiene of a floor by harbouring the growth of bacteria and other organisms which damp condi- tions encourage. Constant use of disinfec- tants is a common cause of resistant micro-organisms. All this is dramatically reduced through daily cleaning with the UHS polisher, extending the period be- tween disinfectant schedules and thus sig- nificantly aiding micro-organism resistance. The S-Class filtration system of the vac-
uum unit removes even the finest dust, making it healthier for those with allergies or asthma. The three-layer sealable bags ensure safe and hygienic disposal of the dust which has been picked up. The Sebo Dart UHS polisher can be used
on virtually any floorcovering, from wood, PVC, stone and varnish-coated, making it hugely versatile. As easy to use as an up- right vacuum cleaner, the polisher comes with a green daily cleaning pad which is used for general maintenance of the floor. Two restoration pads are also available as a set to recover floors which are in a poor condition - a red pad for the initial treat- ment of scratches and imperfections and a yellow pad which restores a high gloss. Ad- ditionally, the Sebo original blue pad is available for daily maintenance where a chemical treatment is required.
www.sebo.co.uk
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