(
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/hand-sanitizer-use.html) (
https://www.purell.eu/en/blog-en/hand-disinfectants-moisturising-ingredients-make-the-difference.html)
Identifying the best solutions
Chris Wakefield, Managing Director UK & Ireland at GOJO Industries-Europe, discusses the current challenges faced when purchasing hand hygiene products for healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is one of the most important infection control strategies used in healthcare settings and, throughout the pandemic, has been instrumental in helping to curb the spread of coronavirus. However, as compliance increased, so did the number of new companies entering the market.
The swell of product choice currently available is confusing – and when it comes to sanitising the hands of hardworking healthcare workers and keeping our hospitals and clinics free from infection – selecting the right products has never been more important.
The risks of choosing incorrectly can be high, resulting in dry, damaged skin, poor user adherence or insufficient efficiency. This can lead to germs being spread around a facility: worrying at the best of times, and utterly frightening whilst we continue to battle against COVID-19.
So how do you ensure that the products you have selected are suitable for use in healthcare settings? There are two key factors to take into account when making a decision.
Efficacy
Above all, the product selected must be effective. A minimum volume of alcohol is required, generally accepted to be 60%, but this shouldn’t be the sole indicator of efficacy. Ensure any claims have been substantiated via independent scientific testing. Look out for key hospital norms EN 1500, EN 14476 and EN 12791, which provide assurance that they are safe for use in healthcare settings.
Selecting products that reach their stated efficacy levels quickly can be a key differentiator too. For example, PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub has proven to be effective against Coronavirus in just 30 seconds, helping to reduce the amount of time required for busy healthcare workers to clean their hands effectively.
50 | HEALTHCARE HYGIENE Skin health
With the high frequency that staff must repeatedly wash and sanitise their hands, it is imperative that formulations are gentle to skin. In fact, an increasingly common barrier to hand hygiene practice is skin irritation and dermatitis. Recent reports have shown that 59% of healthcare workers seen in occupational skin disease clinics, set up during the COVID-19 pandemic, were found to be affected by irritant contact dermatitis due to an increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and frequent hand washing.
It is clear then, that skin health is a key factor when making a decision, not only to care for hands, but to maximise compliance. After all, if workers believe that hospital-grade soaps and sanitisers will cause irritation, dryness, or will exacerbate their dermatitis, then best practice will be abandoned altogether.
Opt, then, for products that are enriched with nourishing agents, such as PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub, whose mositurisers will help to keep skin healthy, as well as feeling soft and refreshed.
Ideal for when hands are not visibly soiled, sanitising gel can actually be a kinder choice for skin than soap and water. Studies have shown that when nurses used an alcohol- based hand rub with moisturising effect for two weeks, skin irritation and dryness decreased.
When it comes to hand hygiene, formulation matters. The balance of ingredients must be right to ensure that dangerous pathogens are killed, without damaging or drying out skin. Selecting the right products can make a huge difference in boosting compliance and lowering the risk of germ transmission, which is, after all, the ultimate aim of an infection prevention strategy.
www.gojo.com
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