HAND WASHING

ANURADHA.Y

Why Is Hand Hygiene Important?

• Hands are the most common mode of pathogen transmission

PURPOSES

• TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MICROORGANISMS ON THE HAND

• TO REDUCE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF MICRO ORGANISMS TO CLIENTS

• TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CROSS CONTAMINATION AMONG CLIENTS

• TO REDUCE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIOUS ORGANISMS TO SELF

When to Wash:• Visibly dirty• After touching contaminated objects

with bare hands• Before and after patient treatment

(before glove placement and after glove removal)– Optional use of alcohol based hand

rub is acceptable if hands are not visibly soiled

• Visibly dirty• After touching contaminated objects

with bare hands• Before and after patient treatment

(before glove placement and after glove removal)– Optional use of alcohol based hand

rub is acceptable if hands are not visibly soiled

Hand washing before and after contact with each patient is the single most important hygiene measure for reducing or preventing the spread of infection

Hand washing before and after contact with each patient is the single most important hygiene measure for reducing or preventing the spread of infection

ASSESSMENTDETERMINE CLIENT’S

• Presence of factors increasing susceptibility to infection, undiagnosed infection

• Use of immunosuppressive medications• Recent diagnostic procedures or treatments that

penetrated the skin or body cavity• Current nutritional status• Signs and symptoms indicating the presence of infection• Localized signs such as swelling, redness, pain or

tenderness, loss of function of body part ,presence of exudates

• Systemic indications such as fever, increased pulse and respiratory rate, lack of energy, anorexia, enlarged lymph nodes

EQUIPMENT

• SOAP• WARM RUNNING WATER• DISPOSABLE OR SANITIZED TOWEL• SINK

PLANNING

• DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF RUNNING WATER AND SOAP SUBSTITUTES

IMPLEMENTATIONPREPARATION• ASSESS THE HANDS:• NAILS SHOULD BE KEPT SHORT• REMOVE ALL JEWELLARY• CHECK HANDS FOR BREAKS(HANGNAILS,CUTS)

• Can affect the integrity of gloves• Can also harbor bacteria• Keep fingernails SHORT!– Avoid artificial nails– Avoid chipped nail polish

• Can affect the integrity of gloves• Can also harbor bacteria• Keep fingernails SHORT!– Avoid artificial nails– Avoid chipped nail polish

Fingernails

• Hand jewelry should not be worn as it may tear gloves and harbor bacteria– Studies have demonstrated that

skin underneath rings is more heavily colonized than comparable areas of skin on fingers without rings• the more rings worn, the greater

concentration of organisms

• Hand jewelry should not be worn as it may tear gloves and harbor bacteria– Studies have demonstrated that

skin underneath rings is more heavily colonized than comparable areas of skin on fingers without rings• the more rings worn, the greater

concentration of organisms

Rings and Jewelry

PERFORMANCE

IF CLIENT OBSERVING YOU WASHING HANDS1.INTRODUCE YOURSELFEXPLAIN NECESSITY OF HANDWASHING AND

WHAT PROCEDURE YOU ARE GOING TO PERFORM

2.TURN ON WATER AND ADJUST THE FLOW

FAUCET CONTROLS• HAND OPERATED HANDLES• KNEE- LEVER FAUCET• FOOT PEDAL FAUCET• ELBOW CONTROL• INFRARED CONTROL

HAND OPERATED HANDLES

KNEE- LEVER FAUCET

FOOT PEDAL ELBOW CONTROL FAUCET

INFRARED CONTROL

3.WET THE HANDS THOROUGHLY HOLDING THEM UNDER RUNNING WATER• APPLY SOAP TO THE HANDS• (2-4ML IQUID SOAP)• HOLD THE HANDS LOWER THAN ELBOWS(WATER FLOWS FROM THE ARMS

TO FINGERTIPS)

4.THOROUGHLY WASH AND RINSE THE HANDS• USE FIRM RUBBING AND CIRCULAR MOVEMENTSPALM,BACK,WRIST OF

EACH HAND• INTERLACE THE FINGERS AND THUMBS• MOVE THE HANDS BACK AND FORTH(CONTINUE FOR 15 SEC)• RUB THE FINGERTIPS AGAINST THE PALM OF THE OPPOSITE HAND• RINSE THE HANDS

NOTE: surgical hand washing hold the hands above elbow

5.THOROUGHLY PAT DRY THE HANDS AND ARMSDISCARD THE PAPER TOWEL IN THE APPROPRIATE CONTAINER.Note : for surgical hand washingUse separate towel to dry other hand and arm.6.TURN OFF THE WATERUSE A NEW PAPER TOWEL TO GRASP HAND OPERATED CONTROL.

Common missed areas

EVALUATION• INSTITUTE QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENTS

MONITOR THE OCCURRANCE OF CLIENT INFECTIONS AND INVESTIGATE SITUATIONS TRANSMISSION

THANK YOU