Infection Prevention Week

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Nurse Diane

Recently a friend of mine was moving a freezer with his son.  His son's finger got trapped between the wall and the freezer, causing him to suffer a severe cut and required stitches from the emergency room.   My friend was worried about the possibility of infection getting in the cut, afraid that his son was not concerned about the proper care of his injury.  I gave him instructions on how to clean the wound and change the dressing, and his finger is healing nicely.

The best way to prevent infection is cleaning.  This applies to wounds as well as preventing the spread of colds.  The number one way to prevent the spread of infections is proper hand washing.  Just using soap and water, and a little friction and cleaning the nail beds will prevent the spreading of germs.

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There has been some discussion that the use of Anti-bacterial soap will cause the mutation of germs that are resistant to these agents.  The growth of Super germs has been discussed in the media.  Science is constantly evolving to combat these organisms to continue to stop the spread of infections.

Some important things to remember are:

• Wash your hands with soap before and after handling food
• Wash your hands when you use the bathroom
• Wash after playing with animals
• Wash your hands after touching door knobs or grocery cart handles
• Cover your mouth when coughing
• Use a Kleenex or handkerchief for sneezing
• Keep hands away from your eyes and mouth
• Keep open wounds clean and covered.

I also encourage people in areas with small children or where groups of people gather, to use Lysol to kill germs, especially during the cold and flu season.

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This week is Infection Prevention week.  Remember to wash your hands, especially if you are ill, and do your part to prevent the spread of infection to others around you.

For more tips, visit this site:  http://iipw.site.apic.org/infection-prevention-and-you/

National Hand Washing Awareness Week

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By Diane Forrest, RN

The very first thing they teach you in nursing school is how to wash your hands.  You may be thinking by the time you are in college you should have already learned this.  Well there is a certain technique to washing your hands at the hospital.  They even have special sinks that you operate with your leg or foot.  Hand washing it the first line of defense in preventing the spread of germs.  You have to turn on warm water, pump out the soap, vigorously rub your hands together up to your arms for at least a minute, then rinse with your hands pointed down so that the soapy water doesn’t run back up to your arms.  Then use a paper towel to dry, and another towel to turn off the sink.  You wash when you enter a room, and before leaving the room.

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Scrub nurses have an even more complicated technique.  They must wash for 3 minutes, from fingers to elbows, using a scrub brush.  Along with the brush there is a file to clean under the fingernails.  Gloves are applied immediately after washing and drying, sometimes sterile gloves, sometimes just "clean" gloves will do.

If you have been in a hospital lately you might see these cans fastened to the wall outside patient's rooms.   These cans contain a hand cleaning foam that don't require water, and it dries on your hands.  While some people may like this, I find that it dries the skin.  You want to make sure your hands are lubricated with lotion because drying will cause cracks in the skin and allow bacteria to move in.

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From the time a child is able to reach the sink, they should be taught how to wash their hands. Of course they should be helped with hand washing before they can do it on their own.  Hands should be washed after using the bathroom, before eating or preparing food, after playing and anytime during the day when the hands come in contact with unclean items.

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This week is National Hand washing Awareness Week.  Try to make a conscious effort to wash your hands during the day, and if you aren’t able to wash your hands, keep them out of your eyes and off of food before you are able to properly wash them, or carry little bottles of hand sanitizer with you.  And remember, one of the most important measures for preventing the spread of germs is effective hand washing.

Wash 'em Hands!

By Diane Forrest, RN

Wash Your Hands!!!!!  How many times have you heard your mother say that?  Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection.  Washing your hands before or after eating or cooking meals is essential to prevent the spread of diseases such as e coli or the common cold.  I always had to laugh when I watched the television show Monk.  He was so paranoid about getting any type of disease or infection that he always used a hand wipe after touching anything.  This is a bit extreme and the constant use of antibacterial soaps could in fact be harmful and causing the growth of "Super bugs" that are becoming harder to kill with antibiotics.

Infections are spread by many ways.  These include:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Touching food with dirty hands will also allow viruses or bacteria from the intestine to spread.
• Shaking hands with someone who has a cold or virus
• Body fluids, such as blood, saliva and semen, can contain the infecting organisms and transmission of such fluids, for example by injection or sexual contact, is important, particularly for viral infections.

Ways to prevent the spread of infections include:

• Wash your hands thoroughly (often one of the best ways to avoid catching a cold).
•  Shaking hands with someone who has a cold is risky, so avoid rubbing your eyes or nose afterwards.
• Food should be cooked or cooled down as quickly as possible.
• Vegetables and meat must be stored separately and prepared on separate chopping boards.
• Meat should preferably be served well-done.
• Remember that food with these invisible organisms does not necessarily smell bad.
• Use a condom during sexual intercourse to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

The hospital or health care setting is a breeding ground for infections.  One of the first things you are taught is how to protect yourself from becoming infected as well as transmitting infections.  You are instructed on sterile techniques, hand washing techniques and safety precautions.  In some areas of practice within the hospital you have to scrub your hands for 5 minutes using a betadine solution, scrub brush and a nail cleaner.  It is also a requirement to wash your hands before and after entering each room.  These days they have the cans of antibacterial foam outside each room, however I still prefer old fashion soap and water.

There are also eye shields, face masks and even infection control rooms or isolation rooms that have their own ventilation systems and you are required to put on gloves, gowns, masks and shoe covers to prevent the spread of infection.

This week is Infection Prevention Week.  You can do your part by washing your hands, cover your mouth if coughing or sneezing, if you have a fever, stay home oh...and did I mention wash your hands?