HAND HYGI ENE
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.6
The same study revealed
that 18% required time off work as a result of occupational skin problems, representing a significant burden on the health service during an extremely difficult time. This figure exposes how serious a subject skin irritation is. It is more than just mild discomfort. The skin may start to itch, become dry, sore and red, and develop small blisters, painful cracks (fissures) and erosions (broken skin). What is more, damaged skin is more susceptible to colonisation by transient micro-organisms. This, in turn, increases the risk for transfer of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms to a susceptible patient – the very opposite of what hand hygiene programmes seek to achieve! It is clear then, that skin health must be considered when implementing a hand hygiene programme in order to maximise compliance. Choosing products that will not irritate is crucial. After all, if workers believe that hospital-grade soaps and sanitisers are going to cause skin irritation and dryness, or will aggravate their condition further, then they will abandon best practice altogether. As a member of the WHO Private Organizations for Patient Safety group, Gojo is a strong advocate of making hand hygiene second nature to everyone in a healthcare setting. There are several strands required to successfully boost adherence. Developing products that are a pleasure to use is one key factor, but they must also be effective against germs and accessible.
Efficacy first Product selection is critical, and there is currently more choice than ever before. COVID-19 has prompted many companies to begin manufacturing hand hygiene products and as a result, there is a plethora of antimicrobial soaps and sanitising gels on the market. But not all hand gels are the same, either in terms of their impact on skin health or their efficacy. In fact, several products have been pulled from European
markets recently, due to compliance and safety issues. Above all, products need to be effective against bacteria and viruses. The World Health Organization states that ‘an effective alcohol-based hand rub product should contain between 60% and 80% of alcohol’.7
This has led many people to
believe that a higher concentration of alcohol equates to a more effective sanitiser, but studies show that this is not the case. In fact, although a minimum effective volume of alcohol is required (generally accepted to be 60%8
, the way the other ingredients
interact matters more. Some sanitisers even become less effective with frequent use due to the way these ingredients interact with the skin.9
Many sanitisers are effective against bacteria, but most have not been efficacy tested against viruses. Choose soaps or sanitisers whose efficacy against germs has been proven through independent scientific testing and conform to key hospital norms EN 1500, EN 14476 and EN 12791. This provides assurance that they are safe to use in healthcare settings.
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.
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Purell Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub has been tested against Coronavirus (surrogate virus BCoV), according to EN 14476 standard and passed with a contact time of just 30 seconds. Selecting products that reach their stated efficacy levels quickly is vital in a busy healthcare setting, helping to reduce the amount of time required to clean hands effectively. Choosing factory-sealed refills for soaps and sanitisers can also help in the fight against infection – these products simply snap into place on site and are a smart, safe and sustainable option. The product inside is protected from contamination as it is sealed at the point of manufacture. This means that the soap or sanitiser is never open to the environment and so cross contamination from the air or other sources is prevented.
Protecting skin health After efficacy, it is time to scrutinise its formulation from a skin health perspective, because if the balance of ingredients is not right, skin can quickly become dry or irritated. Opt for products that are enriched with nourishing agents to care for skin. Purell Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub, for exemple, includes moisturisers to keep skin healthy and feeling soft and refreshed. It is suitable for when hands are not visibly soiled and, contrary to a popular myth, can be a friendlier 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.10
Following two further weeks of the nurses using medicinal soap and water MAY 2021
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