One of the most underappreciated, yet possibly the most efficient way of killing germs and stopping the spread of bacteria is by simply washing your hands. Approximately 1 in 25 patients in hospitals are affected by healthcare-associated infections, according to the CDC, leading to about 75,000 patient deaths a year. Not only does a lack of hand hygiene increase the risk of patients contracting an infection but the health-care provider also puts themselves at risk. Health Care works are constantly exposed to organisms carrying Staphylococcus Aureus, Clostridium Difficile, MRSA and gram-negative bacteria. In addition, contact with sick patients is not the only way of contracting infections, but also through contact with surfaces in a patient’s’ environments and contaminated patients’ charts.
It is recommended that healthcare workers clean their hands before patient contact, before aseptic task, after bodily fluid exposure, after patient contact, and after contact with patient surroundings. These are the five moments of hand hygiene outlined by WHO, the World Health Organization. Luckily, most hospitals have installed more hand sanitizer dispensers in order to ease hand hygiene in workers and patients. So, remember, even though hand hygiene is a time-consuming task because of everything patients and workers are exposed to, it is important to keep your hands as clean as possible. It could keep you and everyone you encounter safer, healthier, and could help save someone’s life!