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The Importance of Hand Hygiene IPN Dannie Hembra & Kelly Flynn Background Your hands are the main way that germs can be passed on from person to person In hospital hand hygiene is the most important measure to avoid transmission of harmful germs and prevent healthcare associated infections As patients or visitors you can help us to protect yourselves and others when you come into hospital by washing your hands Aims There are three main times when you should clean your hands 1. On entering or leaving a ward 2. Before you eat or drink - please use the sink facilities in your room or the hand hygiene wipe given out on your meal trays 3. When your hands are contaminated with bodily fluids e.g. after using the toilet or sneezing Method At LTHT we have put sinks at many of the ward entrances to encourage staff and visitors to wash their hands on entering and leaving the ward as this kills more germs than the alcohol gel. Effective hand decontamination relies on effective technique which includes: 1. Wetting hands with warm water 2. Applying an adequate amount of liquid soap 3. Rubbing this thoroughly onto all hand surfaces and rinsing thoroughly. (You can follow the steps on the soap dispenser) 4. Drying thoroughly, preferably with disposable paper towel 5. Taps should be turned off with the paper towel or your elbow to avoid re-contaminating your hands The Facts Poster produced by Medical Illustration Services, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Ref: 20160816_004/MH At LTHT We pride ourselves on great staff hand hygiene compliance but please feel free to support us by ensuring our staff have cleaned their hands - its always ok to ask! Each square inch of your mobile phone contains roughly 25,000 germs! Hand Washing Technique Only 65% of women and 31% of men admit to washing their hands after using the bathroom! A single gram of human faeces, which is about the weight of a paper clip, can contain one trillion germs! A swab of a handbag can show up to 10,000 bacteria per square inch! References CDC website www.cdc.gov NHS choices www.nhs.uk Deb group www.info.debgroup.com
