Hand Hygiene

Imagine a nurse, lets call her Jill, who faces multiple scrub-ins everyday as part of her operating room (OR) role. She struggles with a rash on her hands and wrists that just wont go away, causing both physical and emotional trauma. These recurring and often painful skin conditions which range from mild irritations to more serious reactions can persist, despite the care taken by nurses and hospitals. Add to that the toll in sick leaves and absenteeism, and the cost of this condition can be painful to both staff and administration. Despite the care and costs, hospitals have not solved the problem. But there is an answer!

The rough statistics of hospital infection in the U.S. are well known, but they are reviewed here briefly to emphasize the claim that current approaches for infections control are not working and are unlikely to get better.

Although hand hygiene has been the target of continuous scrutiny, study and awareness campaigns, Erasmus, et al. (2010) say that substantial and lasting effects on compliance rates has been minimal. As healthcare institutions continue to wrestle with this issue, manufacturers have stepped in to offer high-tech solutions to this perennial problem.

Masks and hand hygiene could cut the spread of flu-like symptoms up to 75 percent, a University of Michigan study found.

According to data in a U.S. public health report from 2007, healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) affect more than 2 million people in the U.S. annually and cause 100,000 deaths, while significantly raising hospitalization time and costs. Studies have shown a low level of compliance rates for medical staff's handwashing, despite their awareness that hand hygiene could dramatically reduce HAI rates.