Hand hygiene equipment
Hand hygiene equipment
SOAP AND WAT E R Plain liquid soap and water are adequate for hand washing for the
majority of clinical care activities – the technique used to clean the hands is more important
than the type of soap used. The six-step technique for hand washing is already discussed.
It is also important that hands are washed under running water and not in static water, as
the objective is to remove microorganisms from the hands and flush them down the drain;
washing hands in static water, i.e. in a hand washbasin with a plug in, does not clean the
hands as effectively as washing under running water.
A N T I B A C T E R I A L S O A P S Antibacterial soaps are not required for general clinical activity;
they are most useful in surgery due to their ability to lower the number of bacteria on
the skin to a lower level than washing with plain soap would achieve, plus they have a
residual effect, which means that it takes longer for the number of bacteria on the skin to
return to normal.
Antibacterial soaps also have a cumulative effect in that the more often they are used,
the greater the number of bacteria removed. Subsequently it takes longer for the number
of bacteria on the skin to return to normal.
ALCOHOL HANDRUB Alcohol handrub can be used to decontaminate the hands providing
they look and feel clean. It should not be used on hands that are soiled or contaminated,
as it will have no effect. Alcohol handrubs sanitise the hands by killing microorganisms
on the skin’s surface; they do not remove soil or organic matter from the skin.
• Alcohol is a disinfectant and is inactivated by dirt and organic matter. As such, if applied
to a soiled or dirty hand it will not have the desired effect.
• Alcohol handrub should be applied to all surfaces of the hands and the hands rubbed
until dry in order to be effective.
• The six-step technique for hand washing should be used when applying alcohol handrub.
• After 4–5 applications of alcohol handrub, hands should be washed using soap and water.
• Alcohol handrub can be used to clean the hands after removing gloves providing hands
look and feel clean.
• Alcohol handrub is not reliable against the bacteria and viruses that cause diarrhoea and
should not be used whenever patients have diarrhoea symptoms. Hands should be
washed with soap and water at these times.
• Alcohol handrub should be applied directly to the skin – it should not be applied to
gloves. Gloves should be removed and a new set donned. Gloves are single-use items
and should not be cleaned and reused under any circumstances.
N A I LBRUSHES Nailbrushes should not be used as they can tear and damage the skin,
creating more places for bacteria to accumulate on the hands. If used for theatre scrubbing
they should be used once and discarded or returned to sterile services for decontamination
before being used again.
S K I N C A R E
• Any cuts or abrasions on the hands should be covered with a waterproof dressing.
• Hand cream should be applied during breaks and when off duty.
• Shared tubs or pots of hand cream should not be used, as they can become contaminated
and lead to hand contamination. Pump dispensers and tubes are ideal.
• Hand creams that make it more difficult to clean the hands after application should not
be used.
• Hand creams that cause any type of deterioration in glove material should not be used.
HAND E T I Q U E T T E Clinical staff should have short clean nails free from dirt, nail varnish,
false nails or nail attachments in order that hands can be cleaned effectively. (False
nails are known to harbour more bacteria than natural nails.)
B A R E B E LOW THE ELBOW It is Department of Health policy in the United Kingdom
for clinical staff working with patients to be ‘bare below the elbow’ during clinical care
activities, in order that hands can be cleaned most effectively, which is best achieved in the
absence of long sleeves and hand and wrist jewellery. A plain metal band (wedding ring)
can be worn but should be moved up and down the finger during hand washing in order
to cleanse the skin underneath.
HAND WASHBASINS To support effective hand washing, hand washbasins in clinical
areas should have the following features:
• Mixer taps.
• Elbow/wrist/pedal/knee/sensor-operated taps, i.e. hands-free operation.
• No plug and not capable of taking a plug.
• No overflow.
• The water from the tap should not flow directly into the drainage aperture.
• Hand washbasins and taps should be wall mounted, not countersunk.
Hand washbasins in clinical areas should be used exclusively for hand washing, as using
them for other activities such as emptying basins and cleaning equipment or crockery
allows the sink to become contaminated, which can lead to contamination of the hands
during hand washing.
SOAP AND WAT E R Plain liquid soap and water are adequate for hand washing for the
majority of clinical care activities – the technique used to clean the hands is more important
than the type of soap used. The six-step technique for hand washing is already discussed.
It is also important that hands are washed under running water and not in static water, as
the objective is to remove microorganisms from the hands and flush them down the drain;
washing hands in static water, i.e. in a hand washbasin with a plug in, does not clean the
hands as effectively as washing under running water.
A N T I B A C T E R I A L S O A P S Antibacterial soaps are not required for general clinical activity;
they are most useful in surgery due to their ability to lower the number of bacteria on
the skin to a lower level than washing with plain soap would achieve, plus they have a
residual effect, which means that it takes longer for the number of bacteria on the skin to
return to normal.
Antibacterial soaps also have a cumulative effect in that the more often they are used,
the greater the number of bacteria removed. Subsequently it takes longer for the number
of bacteria on the skin to return to normal.
ALCOHOL HANDRUB Alcohol handrub can be used to decontaminate the hands providing
they look and feel clean. It should not be used on hands that are soiled or contaminated,
as it will have no effect. Alcohol handrubs sanitise the hands by killing microorganisms
on the skin’s surface; they do not remove soil or organic matter from the skin.
• Alcohol is a disinfectant and is inactivated by dirt and organic matter. As such, if applied
to a soiled or dirty hand it will not have the desired effect.
• Alcohol handrub should be applied to all surfaces of the hands and the hands rubbed
until dry in order to be effective.
• The six-step technique for hand washing should be used when applying alcohol handrub.
• After 4–5 applications of alcohol handrub, hands should be washed using soap and water.
• Alcohol handrub can be used to clean the hands after removing gloves providing hands
look and feel clean.
• Alcohol handrub is not reliable against the bacteria and viruses that cause diarrhoea and
should not be used whenever patients have diarrhoea symptoms. Hands should be
washed with soap and water at these times.
• Alcohol handrub should be applied directly to the skin – it should not be applied to
gloves. Gloves should be removed and a new set donned. Gloves are single-use items
and should not be cleaned and reused under any circumstances.
N A I LBRUSHES Nailbrushes should not be used as they can tear and damage the skin,
creating more places for bacteria to accumulate on the hands. If used for theatre scrubbing
they should be used once and discarded or returned to sterile services for decontamination
before being used again.
S K I N C A R E
• Any cuts or abrasions on the hands should be covered with a waterproof dressing.
• Hand cream should be applied during breaks and when off duty.
• Shared tubs or pots of hand cream should not be used, as they can become contaminated
and lead to hand contamination. Pump dispensers and tubes are ideal.
• Hand creams that make it more difficult to clean the hands after application should not
be used.
• Hand creams that cause any type of deterioration in glove material should not be used.
HAND E T I Q U E T T E Clinical staff should have short clean nails free from dirt, nail varnish,
false nails or nail attachments in order that hands can be cleaned effectively. (False
nails are known to harbour more bacteria than natural nails.)
B A R E B E LOW THE ELBOW It is Department of Health policy in the United Kingdom
for clinical staff working with patients to be ‘bare below the elbow’ during clinical care
activities, in order that hands can be cleaned most effectively, which is best achieved in the
absence of long sleeves and hand and wrist jewellery. A plain metal band (wedding ring)
can be worn but should be moved up and down the finger during hand washing in order
to cleanse the skin underneath.
HAND WASHBASINS To support effective hand washing, hand washbasins in clinical
areas should have the following features:
• Mixer taps.
• Elbow/wrist/pedal/knee/sensor-operated taps, i.e. hands-free operation.
• No plug and not capable of taking a plug.
• No overflow.
• The water from the tap should not flow directly into the drainage aperture.
• Hand washbasins and taps should be wall mounted, not countersunk.
Hand washbasins in clinical areas should be used exclusively for hand washing, as using
them for other activities such as emptying basins and cleaning equipment or crockery
allows the sink to become contaminated, which can lead to contamination of the hands
during hand washing.
Comments
Post a Comment
اكتب تعليق حول الموضوع