June 30, 2002
Good Hand Hygiene - A Sure Quality Bet!
Many of us can relate to these common loving comments made by our mothers when we were children:
Washing your hands is probably one of the best piece of infection control advice your mother gave you. Despite the importance of this issue, about one third of Americans have forgotten what dear ‘OLE Mom tried to teach them. Hand hygiene is really very serious business.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated 2.4 million Americans acquire an infection in a hospital each year. Half of these infections are preventable by proper hand hygiene. Hospital-acquired infections cause or contribute to 100,000 deaths each year, CDC officials state.
Genesis Medical Center (GMC) has made hand hygiene a top priority. The hospital’s Hand Hygiene Coordinator, Nicole Gerdts, R.N., B.S.N, works closely with infectious disease specialist, Louis Katz, M.D., and developed a hand hygiene program which includes distribution and implementation of a waterless antimicrobial hand rinse, ongoing education and observation of hand hygiene.
The program includes a waterless antimicrobial hand rinse which has been mounted outside patient rooms throughout both the East and West campus. “The goal is to have the product available to everyone at Genesis including nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, physical therapist, occupational therapist, nursing assistants, students and visitors, essentially everyone who enters,” says Gerdts. “This product makes it more convenient and faster to disinfect your hands between patients and during patient contacts, therefore, increasing hand hygiene to decrease the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections.”
Quad Citians must also do their part in reducing the spread of germs. The best way to do that is by properly washing your hands. To avoid the risk of spreading germs follow these simple tips:
-
Rub soapy water all over the hands and fingers for 20 to 30 seconds, including under the fingernails. As you create friction by rubbing the hands together, you'll loosen the disease-causing particles on the hands.
-
Rinse thoroughly.
If you are a frequent visitor to public restrooms try these germ prevention strategies in addition to hand washing:
-
Rather than flushing the toilet with your bare hand, use your shoe or toilet paper.
-
After washing your hands, use a paper towel to shut off the faucet and to open the door on your way out, in order to keep from becoming contaminated.
-
Whenever possible, use a restroom stall with toilet paper that is almost completely covered in a metal or plastic holder, which will guard against splattering water and germs.
-
Use hot-air hand dryers with care. In order to feel the hot air, you might have to get very close to the vents. Don't let your hands touch the surface of the vents, however, or you'll risk contamination.
