INFECTION CONTROL
Monitoring hand hygiene to preventinfections
John Hines, research and development director at skin care expert Deb, looks at the impact of hand hygiene on preventing infections in hospitals, and how medical staff can monitor their efforts to comply with hand washing procedures.
Being admitted to hospital can be a stressful time for patients and their families in any circumstances. However, the risk of contracting unnecessary, and sometimes fatal, infections is an added burden that patients should not have to bear in a modern healthcare facility.
The European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control estimates that one in 16 patients contracts a healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) while in hospital1
- a figure
that rises to one patient in three in intensive care units (ICUs).2
This represents more
than 300,000 people in England every year, according to the Department of Health3
-
with approximately 5,000 of these infections proving fatal.3
Resistant bacteria brings greater risks (and costs)
HCAIs cost the NHS in the region of £1bn every year.4
Failing to effectively prevent
infections in healthcare environments can also mean that patients have to stay in hospital for longer. Patients are remaining in hospital an extra 3.6 million days a year in the UK due to infections, leaving less time to focus on new admittances.5 The debate around infection control is also happening at a time when the healthcare sector has a close eye on the growing threat from anti-microbial resistance (AMR). Around 700,000 people around the world die each year due to AMR,6
while the
World Health Organisation (WHO) survey on AMR confirms that resistance is frequent in bacteria isolated in healthcare facilities. For instance, with MRSA, it is as high as 44%, 40% and 38% on average in Latin America, West African countries, and Europe respectively. If left unchecked, growing resistance to antibiotics could further increase the severity of HCAIs - adding even greater costs to a health service that is already feeling the pinch. However, infection prevention is an issue with some readily accessible solutions. Estimates suggest that between 20-40% of
Hospitals often educate staff about the importance of hand hygiene in the workplace.
all HCAIs can be avoided by improving the communication and application of existing hand-hygiene rules and practices.7
Preventing infection through effective hand hygiene
Hand hygiene is crucial to the management of micro-organisms in hospitals - with up to 80% of all infections estimated to be transmitted by healthcare workers’ hands.8 That is why adopting and driving best practice in hand hygiene, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘Five Moments for Hand Hygiene’ guideline, is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection. When hands are physically and visually
clean, the most convenient and effective means to practise hygiene is to use alcohol hand sanitiser. Modern, well-formulated alcohol hand sanitisers are pleasant to use, kind to skin and are highly effective at
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eliminating microbial contaminations, including bacteria and viruses.
When hands are physically and visually soiled or at times of an outbreak, applying a mild non-soap hand wash, followed by a good hand washing technique is recommended. As well as removing visible soiling from hands, the physical action of a good hand washing technique removes high levels of bacteria and viruses that are also present on the skin. For surgical procedures, staff should use either an approved antimicrobial hand wash or a mild hand wash, followed by an approved alcohol hand sanitiser to both remove and kill micro-organisms from their hands.
Both hand washing and sanitising play
an important role in reducing the risk of HCAIs in hospitals. However, for a hand- hygiene programme to be effective, hospitals should consider an important third element – skin health. Even frequently using mild hand washes and sanitisers, according to best practice, can deplete skin of natural moisturisers which need to be regularly replenished.9
Healthcare institutions should provide effective restorative creams to moisturise, nourish and condition the skin - improving its strength and preventing it from becoming dry or damaged. It is important for staff to have ready access hand wash, sanitisers and restorative creams - available at the key points of patient care in accordance with the World Health Organisation ‘Five Moments of Hand Hygiene’ best practice.
The importance of hand hygiene best practice in hospitals
Having the right hygiene products and equipment in place is an important step for hospitals to reduce the number of patients contracting an HCAI. However, not even the best hand-hygiene procedures will prevent the spread of germs and bacteria if best practice is not followed.
It is crucial for hospitals to educate their SEPTEMBER 2017
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