By Erin Hagan
As the holiday season approaches, proper hygiene becomes crucial to help healthcare workers and patients stay safe in medical environments. During the winter months, infection rates tend to rise due to colder temperatures, dry air, and increased indoor activities.
National Handwashing Awareness Week aims to educate individuals on the correct handwashing techniques and the importance of maintaining good hand hygiene.
Dynarex provides a full line of Personal Care Products to help keep healthcare facilities stocked this holiday season.
A Focus on Handwashing
Every day, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) impact 1 in 31 hospital patients. According to the CDC, handwashing is the single most important step in preventing the spread of germs. Given the seasonal increase in doctor visits during the winter months, it’s even more important for healthcare facilities to prioritize proper hygiene practices and adhere to recommended protocols.
While the concept of washing hands seems simple, there are a few misconceptions to consider:
Misconception: Hot water is more effective for killing germs than cold water.
Fact: The temperature of the water does not play a significant role in getting rid of germs. It’s the soap that does the trick, and it works just as well with cold water as it does with hot water.
Misconception: The duration of handwashing doesn’t matter, as long as soap is used.
Fact: The length of time spent washing hands is essential. The CDC advises washing hands for at least 20 seconds, equivalent to humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice, ensuring thorough scrubbing, including under the nails.
Misconception: Wearing gloves eliminates the need for handwashing.
Fact: Gloves can become contaminated with germs when touching surfaces. If germs are present on the outer surface of the gloves, they may transfer to the hands when the gloves are removed.
Hygiene Challenges in Healthcare Settings
In the fast-paced and demanding field of healthcare, practitioners often encounter obstacles that may hinder their ability to maintain optimal hand hygiene. These challenges can include:
- Hectic Schedules. Non-stop workloads and time constraints pose challenges for healthcare workers to maintain consistent hand hygiene between patient interactions.
- While hand sanitizers are not as effective as washing, they serve as a valuable alternative for cleaning hands when soap and water are not available. The CDC advises using hand sanitizers that are at least 60% alcohol.
- Skin Irritation. Medical professionals might need to clean their hands as many as 100 times per 12-hour shift, leading to potential skin irritation.
- It is recommended to supply healthcare workers with gentle, non-irritating soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and to promote the application of moisturizer.
- Under-resourced Facilities. Inadequate sink availability, hand sanitizer stations inconveniently located, and a limited soap supply in some hospitals may impede the practice of effective hand hygiene.
- To address this, establish and maintain a consistent and reliable supply chain for soap and hand sanitizer products, ensuring regular monitoring and restocking to prevent shortages.
A Healthy Holiday Season
This holiday season, it’s vital for healthcare providers to prioritize hygiene, ensuring facilities have access to high-quality products. Promoting a safe and healthy holiday requires a collaborative effort from distributors, healthcare providers, and the community, allowing us to make a substantial impact on the adoption of proper hygiene practices.
