{"id":4019,"date":"2023-11-24T14:00:48","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T08:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/?p=4019"},"modified":"2023-11-23T11:09:09","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T05:24:09","slug":"hand-hygiene-basic-measure-for-infection-control-and-prevention-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/?p=4019","title":{"rendered":"Hand Hygiene: Basic Measure for Infection Control and Prevention Introduction\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Word by:<\/p>\n

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Prof Dr. Subhash Prasad Acharya, Ms Roshani Rana and Infection control team<\/strong><\/div>\n
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In today’s fast-paced world, where diseases can spread rapidly, maintaining good hand hygiene\u00a0 has never been more critical. Hand hygiene, the simple act of cleaning hands, is the most effective\u00a0 way to prevent the spread of infections. In the battle against infectious diseases, hand hygiene\u00a0 stands as the first line of defense. Simple yet profoundly effective, this practice is fundamental to\u00a0 infection control and prevention whether you’re a healthcare professional, a student, or simply\u00a0 going about your daily routine, practicing good hand hygiene can save lives in healthcare settings,\u00a0 public places, and everyday life. Proper hand hygiene not only safeguards individuals but also\u00a0 curtails the spread of contagious diseases within communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hand Hygiene: Now and Then\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Hand hygiene has a long and important history in promoting public health and preventing the\u00a0 spread of diseases. Hand hygiene is a fundamental practice in preventing the spread of infections\u00a0 and diseases. Throughout history, various cultures and societies have recognized the importance\u00a0 of hand hygiene in maintaining health and well-being. Here’s a brief overview of the history of\u00a0 hand hygiene:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ancient Civilizations: <\/b>Ancient civilizations, such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks,\u00a0 practiced hand washing and bathing for personal hygiene. They used water, sand, and various\u00a0 natural substances like ash and herbs for cleaning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Islamic Golden Age: <\/b>During the Islamic Golden Age (8th to 14th centuries), scholars like Al Razi wrote and emphasized about the importance of hand washing with soap to prevent the spread\u00a0 of diseases. They pioneered early forms of soap using plant-based ingredients. <\/span>Middle Ages: <\/b>In Europe, public baths were popular during the Roman Empire but declined in the\u00a0 middle Ages due to various social, religious, and economic factors. As a result, personal hygiene,\u00a0 including hand washing, became less common.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

19th Century: <\/b>In the mid-19th century, Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician, made\u00a0 significant contributions to the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings. He observed a\u00a0 significant reduction in maternal mortality when doctors and medical students washed their hands\u00a0 with chlorine solution before delivering babies. His observations laid the foundation for modern\u00a0 hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

20th Century: <\/b>With the discovery of germs and the germ theory of disease, the importance of\u00a0 hand hygiene became widely recognized. The use of antiseptics and hand disinfectants became\u00a0 common in medical settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Florence Nightingale: During the Crimean War in the 1850s, Florence Nightingale emphasized\u00a0 the significance of hand washing in nursing practice, which greatly reduced the spread of\u00a0 infections in military hospitals. In the early 20th century, guidelines and protocols for hand\u00a0 washing started to appear in medical literature and healthcare facilities\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Late 20th Century to Present: <\/b>The discovery of antiseptics and antibiotics further emphasized\u00a0 the importance of hand hygiene in preventing infections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control\u00a0 and Prevention (CDC) have developed guidelines and campaigns to promote hand hygiene\u00a0 worldwide. They introduced guidelines and campaigns like the “Clean Care is Safer Care”\u00a0 initiative, emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hand Sanitizers: With advancements in chemistry and technology, alcohol-based hand sanitizers\u00a0 became widely available in the late 20th century, providing a convenient and effective way to\u00a0 disinfect hands when soap and water are not readily available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent Developments: <\/b>The importance of hand hygiene gained further prominence during the\u00a0 events like the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020 on a global\u00a0 scale. Public health campaigns during these times have reinforced the message of frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Today, hand hygiene is a standard practice in healthcare settings, food handling, and various other\u00a0 industries. It is also promoted in public health campaigns globally to prevent the spread of\u00a0 infectious diseases and maintain overall health and well-being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Significance of Hand Hygiene\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Infections spread through various means, including direct contact with an infected person,\u00a0 touching contaminated surfaces, and through respiratory droplets. Our hands act as carriers for a\u00a0 multitude of germs. Without regular and thorough hand washing, these pathogens can easily\u00a0 transfer to the mucous membranes of the face, leading to infections.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hand hygiene is not merely a routine; it is a crucial practice that saves lives. The hands, being the\u00a0 primary tools for interacting with the environment, inadvertently become carriers of various\u00a0 pathogens. Proper hand hygiene disrupts the transmission chain, significantly reducing the risk of\u00a0 spread of infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This practice is not limited to\u00a0 healthcare settings but applies to everyone, everywhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WHO-recommended hand rub formulation preparation at GIH\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Step by Step Preparation<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Gather all the required equipments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Perform hand hygiene.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Apply personal protective equipments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>The Isopropyl alcohol (99.8%) 7515ml \/ Ethanol (96%) 8333 ml) is poured into the large\u00a0 bottle or tank up to the graduated mark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Hydrogen peroxide (3%) 417 ml is added using the measuring cylinder. <\/span>\u2219 <\/span>Glycerol (98%) 145 ml is added using a measuring cylinder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>The bottle\/tank is then topped up to the 10-litre mark with sterile distilled or cold boiled\u00a0 water.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>The lid or the screw cap is placed on the tank\/bottle as soon as possible after preparation,\u00a0 in order to prevent evaporation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>The solution is mixed by shaking gently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Assure the quality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Immediately divide up the solution into its final containers (e.g. 500 or 100 ml plastic\u00a0 bottles)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Place the bottles in quarantine for 72 hours before use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Quality Control\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Alcoholmeter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>To control the alcohol concentration of the final use solution\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Target concentration: \u00b175%\u201385%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Production and storage facilities\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Production and storage facilities should ideally be air conditioned or cool rooms. <\/span>\u2219 <\/span>No naked flames or smoking should be permitted in these areas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>Not be produced in quantities exceeding 50-litres locally or in central pharmacies lacking\u00a0 specialized air conditioning and ventilation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>National safety guidelines and local legal requirements must be adhered to the storage of\u00a0 ingredients and the final product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When and How to Practice Hand Hygiene\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Hand rubbing <\/b>with alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred routine method of hand hygiene if\u00a0 hands are not visibly soiled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hand washing <\/b>with soap and water essential when hands are visibly dirty or visibly soiled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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When To Hand Wash\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>When hands are visibly dirty or visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids <\/span>\u2219 <\/span>After using the toilet\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2219 <\/span>After suspected exposure to potential spore-forming pathogens(<\/span>clostridium difficile) <\/span><\/i>\u2219 <\/span>Unavailability of an alcohol based hand rub\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Compliance rate 2016- 2022(Seven Year)\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

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NURSE\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

DOCTOR\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

PARAMEDICS HOUSEKEEPING OVERALL<\/b>
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Conclusion\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Hand hygiene is a basic yet powerful measure for infection control and prevention. Its impact on\u00a0 infection control and prevention cannot be overstated. In healthcare settings, the adherence to\u00a0 strict hand hygiene protocols can significantly reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated\u00a0 infections, improving patient outcomes and saving lives. As individuals and communities, our\u00a0 commitment to regular and thorough hand washing can make a significant difference in\u00a0 preventing infections and promoting overall well-being. So, let\u2019s make hand hygiene a habit and\u00a0 pave the way for a healthier future. It is a collective responsibility to uphold this fundamental\u00a0 practice, ensuring a healthier and safer future for all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Word by: Prof Dr. Subhash Prasad Acharya, Ms Roshani Rana and Infection control team In today’s fast-paced world, where diseases can spread rapidly, maintaining good hand hygiene\u00a0 has never been more critical. Hand hygiene, the simple act of cleaning hands, is the most effective\u00a0 way to prevent the spread of infections. In the battle against …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":4027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[39,107],"tags":[1809],"class_list":["post-4019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-feature","category-flash-news","tag-issue-41"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/medicosnext.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/HAND-HYGIENE.jpg?fit=550%2C335&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4019"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4019\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4034,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4019\/revisions\/4034"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}