New hand-washing guidelines emphasize healthy nails, easy access to sanitizers

New guidelines for handwashing in healthcare facilities aimed at reducing healthcare-associated infections, focusing on healthy skin and nails, facilitating access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and improving training.

new guidance, Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections from hands Hygiene: 2022 updatepublished in magazines infection Control & hospital epidemiologymaintain it properly and reiterate many previous recommendations for nails and manicures, but the updates include where facilities should place sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers and how to maintain them.

“Healthcare workers have complex interactions with very sick patients, requiring them to wash their hands dozens of times during their shift.” Emily E. Sickbert Bennett, PhD, Master’s degree, He is the director of hospital epidemiology at the University of North Carolina Hospital and the author of the new guidelines, he told Helio.

“[These guidelines] It provides a roadmap for healthcare facilities to develop evidence-based policies and implement practical strategies to promote hand hygiene adherence and healthy skin and nails,” she said.

Sickbert-Bennett and colleagues noted that a 2017 study found that only 7% of handwashing opportunities in trauma resuscitation centers were taken. The updated guidelines say there are countless opportunities for infection to spread.

The new guidance recommends continued handwashing training, at least in part because many people don’t wash their thumbs and fingertips properly.

“Clearly, there is room for improvement in adherence, and hand hygiene programs to ensure optimal adherence continue to be an important component of prevention. [health care-associated infections]’Sickbert-Bennet and colleagues write in the new guidelines.

The guidelines state that all hand hygiene programs should have accessible and functional supplies. Senior and unit-based leadership with responsibility and accountability to ensure engagement and adherence. Infection prevention personnel with training and resources to lead these programs. Trained observers to assess technology and monitor adherence. Trained providers who are aware of when hand hygiene should be observed during care. Support for data analysis and meaningful communication of findings from such analysis.

According to guidelines, short natural nails with standard or no manicure are easiest to clean, and the authors have left their other policies regarding manicures, gels, shellac, and extenders intact, and these policies are subject to individual facilities. They found no new evidence for chipped manicures or artificial nails, but previous research noted that bacteria could be lurking.

Janet GrowiczPhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC, An infection prevention expert on the CDC’s hospital prevention team told Healio that health care workers should have “easy access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers in all areas where patient care is provided.”

“Any time you need to clean your hands, you need to put it in your workflow so that you know exactly where it is,” says Glowicz.

The authors recommended not providing employees with personal pocket-sized hand sanitizers instead of wall-mounted dispensers. To make sure there is, it said management should include representatives in the selection of these products.

Sickbert-Bennett said infection control in healthcare is multifaceted, noting that many pathogens are becoming difficult to treat due to the misuse of antibiotics.

“When hand hygiene prevents infection, it also prevents the use of antibiotics, keeps patients safe, and protects the medicines they rely on to treat them,” said Glowicz.

She said a minimum of one sanitizer dispenser is required outside patient rooms, and one dispenser per patient is required in rooms with two or more patients. It could make it easier to “do the right thing,” she said.

“Infection prevention professionals and hospital epidemiologists work together to understand infection risk factors and use evidence-based guidelines to implement practical strategies to prevent infection,” says Sickbert. – said Bennett. “These guidelines are very important to update our current knowledge of hand hygiene, which has been shown to be of paramount importance.”

References:

Glowicz JB, et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol.2023;doi:10.1017/ice.2022.304.

Haac B, et al. injury. 2016;doi:10.1016/j.injury.2016.08.004.

Shea. Hand hygiene is the focus of modern advice to prevent healthcare-associated infections. https://shea-online.org/hand-hygiene-is-focus-of-updated-advice-to-prevent-healthcare-associated-infections/Published February 8, 2023. Accessed 8 February 2023.