HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL FACILITIES
A HELPING HAND IN
HEALTHCARE
Hospital staff need to wash their hands frequently to avoid the risk of cross-infection
between patients, which can lead to chapping, soreness or dermatitis. Ian Catchpole from Essity considers some solutions.
Frequent and thorough hand washing is absolutely crucial in the healthcare sector to prevent the spread of infections. According to the World Health Organisation, healthcare workers need to wash their hands - at the very least - before and after touching a patient; after any action that exposes them to bodily fluids, and after coming into contact with the patient’s surroundings.
WHO also recommends that a thorough hand hygiene regime in the healthcare sector should take 40-60 seconds. The process should involve thoroughly cleaning the palms, fingers and backs of the hands using soap and water and then drying them thoroughly with a single use towel.
However, a frequent, lengthy hand washing regime can take its toll on the hands and lead to chapping, soreness and occupational dermatitis with all the misery that such conditions entail.
In fact in a recent survey, 79% of nurses questioned said the condition of their hands had a significant impact on their quality of life. Commissioned by medical supplies manufacturer Medline, the US study also revealed that in 57% of cases the condition of the respondents’ hands influenced the frequency with which they were prepared to wash or sanitise them. In other words, healthcare workers with dry, sore hands were understandably more reluctant to wash them frequently.
Areas of the hands that are cracked or raw are also more susceptible to being colonised by bacteria than healthy skin, according to the NHS. This means that healthcare staff with sore hands potentially present an even greater cross-infection risk to their patients. So, what can be done to ease this situation?
Gloves are often considered to be a good solution in healthcare since they provide a barrier between the healthcare worker and the patient. But gloves may contain tiny holes or punctures before use which means they should only be worn by hands that have been thoroughly washed in the first place. The moist environment that gloves create also provides the ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. And according
24 | TOMORROW’S FM
to Medline and the NHS, such moist conditions can aggravate existing skin conditions.
The use of mild soaps such as Tork Extra Mild Foam Soap and Tork Extra Mild Liquid Soap are a good hand washing solution in the healthcare sector. For people prone to dermatitis or other skin conditions the NHS recommends that lukewarm water be used to gently remove all traces of soap. The hands should then be dried thoroughly, paying particular attention to the spaces between the fingers.
A soft, non-abrasive paper towel will help to protect the hands while also quickly absorbing the moisture. Meanwhile the physical action of rubbing the hands with a towel will help to remove any remaining bacteria. Tork Soft Singlefold Hand Towels work well in healthcare wash stations and in patient and visitor washrooms while in more hygiene-critical wash station – in intensive care units, for example – an extra soft towel such as the Tork Xpress Extra Soft Multifold Hand Towel may be preferred since this will provide an even gentler hand-dry.
The NHS also recommends that fragrance-free conditioning creams be made readily available in the healthcare sector and that staff are advised to use them frequently. Tork Non-perfumed Hand & Body Lotion works well in this type of situation.
And the NHS advocates the use of alcohol hand rubs in place of soap and water for dermatitis sufferers where the hands are neither visibly dirty nor contaminated with blood or other body fluids. Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitiser is available in dispensers for general use as well as in smaller formats that can be clipped to a patient’s bed or issued to a medical worker.
Hand hygiene cannot be skimped in the healthcare sector, but cleansing the hands thoroughly while also trying to avoid drying them out can be a major challenge. However with the help of skin-friendly soaps, soft hand towels and fragrance-free moisturisers it is entirely possible to strike a balance between through hand hygiene and a solution that is kind to the skin.
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