Hand Washing Issues - Essay Example

Hand Wash Introduction: Health care is one where one specific area has to be more cautious, but currently it is found that the hygienic practices are given little care and interest. The topics of hygiene and the health care subjects are provided much by the nursing people. The cleanliness of hands is one major area where attention must be given for avoiding nosocomial infections. In spite of considerable progress in disease control and hospital epidemiology, the message is not constantly translated into clinical practice. Normal compliance with hand hygiene suggestion vary between hospital wards, amongst professional category of health-care workers, and according to functioning conditions, and also according to the description used in different studies. “The term hand hygiene includes several actions intended to decrease colonization with transient flora. This objective can be achieved through hand washing or hand disinfection. Hand washing refers to washing hands with an unmediated detergent and water or water alone” (Pittet 2001, p. 234). The main research undertaken here is “Is medical staff less compliant with hand wash when using gloves?” The topic here deals with how the medical staff is less prone to providing complaints on the various kinds of hand wash when they the gloves. The topic leads to the controversy whether gloves help in reducing much of the effect of hand wash or that is not identified. Literature Review: Literature review is a systematic study that focuses on the various aspects involved in the study; it helps in providing in-depth information on the aspects of hand wash and hygiene. According to Katowa P. Mukwato, 1C.M. Ngoma, 2M. Maimbolwa in 1990, “Cleansing heavily contaminated hands with an antiseptic before patient contact can reduce nosocomial transmission of contagious diseases11. This evidence was provided for some 150 years ago. In a review article11 Semmelweis observed that mortality rate from puerperal fever was high (16%) before May 1847 in a clinic where doctors and student doctors provided care to women in labour despite washing hands with soap and water before entering the obstetric clinic” (Mukwato et al. n.d.). Semmelweis (1847) assume that the elevated rates of puerperal flu and infection were caused by the “cadaverous” element, spread from the autopsy room to the obstetric region via the hands of student and from the doctors. In May 1847, Semmelweis confirmed through that doctors and students rub their hands in lime mixture (which is also chlorinated) prior to each bodily examination. As a result the death rate in that clinic had a drop from 16% to 3.06% in the remaining 7 months of 1847. “Heynes et al [19] offered a widely accepted definition of compliance within health care settings [20]. According to this definition, compliance is the extent to which certain behaviour (for example, following physician's orders or implementing healthier lifestyles) is in accordance with the physicians' instructions or health care advice. Compliance can be influenced or controlled by a variety of factors like culture, economic and social factors, self-efficacy, and lack of knowledge or means” (Efstathiou et al. 2012). Katowa P. Mukwato, 1C.M. in his report, states that the analysed that mortality rate is inferior to burns infectivity was low in wards that were located on the top floor most likely due to minimum actions and good exposure to air. These statements highlight the significance of variable traffic flow and movement pattern as a component of disease prevention. Assessment of traffic and action patterns in a ward helps in diminishing the number of microorganisms there in the environment, as the amount of microorganisms in a selected area tends to be associated to the number of people present and the various activities carried out. “A worrying trend in hospitals is the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms which can survive on the hands of health care workers. Many, if not most, hospital-acquired infections continue to be spread by direct contact by the hands of health care workers (Bauer et al, 1990). Hand-washing is the most significant procedure in preventing cross infection (Voss and Widmer, 1977)” (Aseptic non-Touch Technique 2001). There are many psychological reasons too; the groups argue that they are anxious much about the information due to their experience with the microorganisms. It is clarified that, a superior reason to go after standard safety measures is the fact that by executing them, their anxiety about the suitable infection is severely decreased, because defensive equipment can serve up as a barrier to the spread of microorganisms. “The study ascertained that 100% of the nursing student and 91% of the medical students knew that their hands had to be washed before and after patient care.However, compliance with HH was noted in 26.9% of the nursing students and 2.6% of the medical students” (Carneiro et al. 2010). Discussion and Findings: Hand washing for hand cleanliness, is the act of cleaning the hands with or without the use of water, or a different liquid, or soap in order to remove dirt, soil, and bacteria. “Hand washing is the single most important procedure for preventing health care associated infections” (Hand Washing and Hand Hygiene n.d.). Hand cleanliness is relevant, as hygienic practices connected to the administration of medical and medicinal care minimizes illness and the dispersal of disease. The major medical function of washing hands is to wash the hands from pathogens and chemicals which can cause personal disease or harm. This is particularly significant for people who handle work or food in the medical field. Other than that it is also a significant practice for the common public. There are mixtures of interferences that can be implemented to raise compliance to hand cleanliness and to ensure that hands and often handled tools remain as clean as probable in the hospital. “An antiseptic hand wash is the same but with the inclusion of an antiseptic solution that may be included in the soap itself or added as a separate element” (Hand Hygiene and Hand Washing 2011). Alcohol added hand rubs with no-touch distributor should be accessible in all words of patients, external elevators, in waiting rooms and at employee’s workstations. “The Hand Hygiene Resource Centre at www.handhygiene.org found that when hand sanitizers were placed next to patient’s bed that healthcare workers cleaned their hands significantly more Automatic sinks should be placed close to the exit of each room. This will increase the likelihood of staff washing their hands between patients” (Smith et al. 2009). Staff must be encouraged to clean their normally handled stethoscopes among patients and have to be discouraged from using cloth covers on their stethoscopes tools that is handled and used by healthcare employees among patients must be cleaned regularly. Strength: Following are the Strength of Hand Washing: “Hand washing helps to remove micro-organisms that might cause disease. · Washing with soap and water kills many transient micro-organisms and allows them to be mechanically removed by rinsing. · Washing with antimicrobial products kills or inhibits the growth of micro-organisms in deep layers of the skin” (Annex 1: Hand Washing n.d.). It is imperative that doctors and the para medical staff should observe strictly that they wash their hands with at least some cleansers, which are to soap and “the big advantage of these cleansers is that you don’t need water or a towel, so you can use them anywhere. But alcohol doesn’t kill everything. That’s why it shouldn’t be the only cleaner available in health care settings” (Proper Hand washing Technique: How to wash Your Hands Properly 2007). Washing hands with water and soap is the best way to decrease the number of germs on them. If water and soap are not obtainable, use an alcohol-based hand disinfectant that includes 60 percent alcohol. Alcohol based hand sanitizers can quickly decrease the quantity of germs on hands in some circumstances, other than that, sanitizers do not remove every type of germs. “There are different hand washing methods out there, but most of these procedures are very similar in nature. The usual proper hand washing materials include: hands; water; soap and; paper towels” (Hand Washing 2008). Weaknesses: Healthcare caregivers and workers frequently fail to observe “hand washing” (Use Proper Hand Washing Techniques – Protect Your Health n.d.) procedures due to difficult access to hand washing facilities, due to lack of time. People turn impure with respiratory illnesses, for instance, infection of ordinary cold. It happens when they don't wash their hands before touching their nose, eyes or mouth. certainly, the centers for illness control and prevention have stated that it is well recognized one of the significant dealings for avoiding the increase of pathogens is efficient hand washing. Findings: From the discussion as well as the analysis of the subject, the following information is obtained. • Hand wash is very important and indifference to its affects the hygiene factors of the nurses. • The usefulness of hand wash should be brought to the notice of the nurses. • Nurses use their hands and get in touch with their patients and therefore play a very important role in the safety of patients and controlling infection. • Using the same gloves several times from patients to patients will brings infection on their body. • It is found that proper and continuous use of hand wash will avoid the transmission of micro organism. • It prevents the occurrence of infection for more than 150 years. • The complaint rate related to the use of gloves accounts for accounts 91.4%. • It decreases the counts of bacteria and increases the hygiene of hands. • The analysis shows that the use of hand wash by nurses will provide benefits to citizens of all groups. • Hand hygiene is a significant way in reducing the health related problems to the patients. • It is observed that the hand gloves are worn by the nurses for more than one job. • Correct hand washing is the easy and successful means to stop the increase of infectious disease. • Hands must be washed before and after contacting the patients and before and after putting the gloves. • Regular hand washing when one is in nearby acquaintance with others, and keeping away from contact with the mouth and nose, reduce the chance of getting be contaminated. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that inappropriate and improper use of hand glove may be a constituent of deprived hand-hygiene compliance. Disinfection or hand washing before and after the use of hand glove must be powerfully encouraged. Conforming to hand hygiene becomes considerably worse following inappropriate and improper glove use. Failure to take away gloves subsequent to contact with the patient or among ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ body places on the same patient should be considered as non-adherence to suggestions (Boyce and Pittet, 2002). Compliances of the Hand-hygiene are composed of: 1. Hand hygiene pursuing no use of hand glove; 2. Hand hygiene following proper use of hand glove; 3. Hand hygiene following improper use of hand glove; (glove overuse) “Hand washing has been considered one of the most important measures for reducing transmission of microorganisms and preventing infection for more than 150 years” (Three Hand Hygiene n.d.). Disposable hand glove is one of the single-use medical machines and are not planned to be used and reprocessed on any of the patient or for another process and practice on the same types of patient (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, 2006). “The glove-use compliance rate was significantly higher for nurses and similar to that found in other studies. Wilkinson (1992) observed glove-use compliance rates that averaged 80–94% overall, with the nurses’ glove compliance rate being 91.4% and doctors’ being 73.2%” (Flores et al. 2008). Staffs in the hospital might wear hand gloves with the main aim of defending themselves and not the patient and may be unaware or ignorant that contagion on gloves happens just as on hands (Pittet et al, 1999). My findings must be helpful to the public, for the reason that these hand washes are significant in decreasing bacterial counts as well as increasing the hygiene of hand. These would be helpful to numerous different citizens, for example parents of young kids, elderly individuals, citizens with various health concerns, citizens who work in a various types of high bacterial atmosphere, citizens who individually prepare food, and individuals with no water facility convenient to them. The aims of this study are to understand and evaluate healthcare workers’ use of hand glove through observation and to assess the consequence that glove use brings on hand hygiene. “Human health is important to the body. Antibiotics, such as the waterless hand cleansers, can help people to live longer and healthier lives. Common people need to know what type of waterless hand cleansers to buy to help prevent diseases” (Sonia 2001). Suitable hand hygiene is a most important measure to decrease the transmission of healthcare- related infection. The general compliance rate of hand-hygiene which was 64% was upper than the regular baseline rates for compliance rate of hand-hygiene whereas 40%, even though the methods employed for defining adherence and those employed for carrying out observations differ considerably among studies (Boyce and Pittet, 2002). It was also examined that hand gloves were worn by the staff for more than one job, for example, arranging a bed and in operating an IV line. Nurses overuse hand gloves more than doctors or HCAs use. Reference List Annex 1: Hand Washing n.d. Practical Guidelines for Infection Control in Health Care Facilities. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Aseptic non-Touch Technique 2001. NursingTimes.net. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Carneiro et al. 2010. Standard Precautions: Knowledge and Practice among Nursing and Medical Students in a Teaching Hospital in Brazil. International Journal of Infection Control. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Efstathiou et al. 2012. Research Article. Biomedcentral.com. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Flores et al. 2008. Research: Glove Use and Compliance with Hand Hygiene. Nursingtimes.net. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Hand Washing and Hand Hygiene n.d. NSW Infection Control Resource Centre. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Hand Washing 2008. WashingHands.net. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Hand Hygiene and Hand Washing 2011. VNTO. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Mukwato et al. n.d. Compliance with Infection Prevention Guidelines by Health Care Workers at Ronald Ross General Hospital Mufulira District. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Pittet, D 2001. Special Issue: Improving Adherence to Hand Hygiene Practice: A Multidisciplinary Approach. University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. Vol. 7. Print. Proper Hand washing Technique: How to wash Your Hands Properly 2007. Harvard Health Publications. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Smith et al. 2009. Infection Control: Can Nurses Improve Hand Hygiene Practices? University of Calgary, Faculty of Nursing. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Sonia, T 2001. Which Waterless Hand Sanitizer Is Most Effective in Killing Bacteria? Science Project. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Three Hand Hygiene n.d. Infection Prevention Guidelines. Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Use Proper Hand Washing Techniques – Protect Your Health n.d. Standford. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 13 April 2012] Read More