Hand Hygiene – A Pillar of Infection Prevention
It is well known that hand hygiene is the most important intervention to prevent infections. Yet infection control and prevention are still an issue in hospitals, schools, restaurants, and work. According to the CDC, healthcare providers clean their hands less than 50% as often as they should. Contaminated healthcare worker hands are the most common transmission of healthcare-associated infections. Hand sanitizers should be available anywhere that healthcare workers make contact with patients or visitors.
With so many hand sanitizers on the market, how do you choose? Ethyl alcohol is the important ingredient that kills germs. But products containing less than 40% alcohol are not effective. The FDA recommends choosing a hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% alcohol to maximize germ- killing efficacy and eliminate COVID. Although alcohol is the necessary ingredient to reduce the spread of illness and infection, it can irritate the skin. Using a gentle, non-irritating gel, foam, or spray that is still powerful enough to kill germs is best. Finding products that comply with the CDC guidelines for hand & hygiene in healthcare settings and OSHA in food service and restaurants are hard to find but an important consideration.
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