HEALTHCARE HYGIENE
The antimicrobial resistance challenge
Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge facing healthcare today. Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity considers the issue and looks at ways in which it can be addressed – then discusses the role of hand hygiene in reducing the risk of hospital- associated infections in the first place.
People who have grown up in the age of penicillin – which is practically all of us – have come to rely on medications such as antibiotics to provide a swift means of fighting infections, but what happens when those antibiotics lose their efficacy? This is the nightmare scenario facing our hospitals as antimicrobial resistance becomes a real concern.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve in such a way that they no longer respond to the medications traditionally used to treat them. This makes it harder for medical professionals to combat infections, which in turn increases the risk of general outbreaks, severe illness and death.
Antimicrobial resistance is believed to be a major cause of the numerous so-called ‘superbug’ infections that have been the scourge of our hospitals in recent years. Such illnesses are resistant to antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals which makes them extremely difficult to treat. As a result, infections persist in the body and increase the risk that they will be spread to others.
A Lancet study estimated that there were around 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR in 2019. Research is continually being carried out to come up with new antimicrobial drugs capable of taking on the
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superbugs. Meanwhile, steps are also being taken to better manage the use of antibiotics in healthcare settings, but it is crucial that every care should be taken to prevent infections from taking hold in the first place.
Experts agree that good hand hygiene is the best way of curbing the spread of infections and viruses in hospitals. According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, staff need to wash their hands before touching a patient, before carrying out any aseptic procedure, after any exposure to body fluid, after touching a patient and after touching the patient’s surroundings.
In order to be able to practice thorough hand washing and drying, however, medical staff need to have constant access to effective and skin-friendly products.
Soap and hand towels should be easy to use and kind to the hands since healthcare staff members will need to wash their hands frequently. For example, Tork Foam Soap comes in a Tork Sensitive version which is particularly kind to the hands, while Tork Xpress Extra Soft Multifold Hand Towels are soft, absorbent and gentle on the skin.
The provision of a fragrance-free conditioning cream such as Tork Sensitive Moisturising Hand Cream will further
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