Hand hygiene remains the basic measure in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Hands carry 80% ofbacteria causing infections. Doctors and nurses are the staff that most neglect hand hygiene before touching a patient. They also should be more aware of the risk of contamination by the environment.
If hand hygiene must be constantly emphasised with campaigns, training sessions etc, more attention should also be put on other aspects of hygiene. Doctors or nurses, with well sanitized hands protected by gloves, will currently pull the curtain at the patient's bed. These curtains are seldom laundered and are laden with bacteria.Immediately, the well- protected hands are once again contaminated. Any surface in the patient’s room is also covered with bacteria and here again, the well -protected doctor's hands are contaminated.
Health professionals should be more aware of these environmental risks and avoid all contact with any object or surface before touching their patient.
Many studies, in the States as well as in other countries, have demonstrated that the cleaning of hospital rooms is overall inadequate but other studies have proven that correct cleaning works well in the battle against hospital-acquired infections.
With the constant rise in the rate of dangerous, resistant bacteria, cleaning is a major issue.
Impeccable room cleanging and strict hand hygiene procedures are the basic measures to avoid hospital-acquired infections. They ARE AVOIDABLE.
REMINDER
Hospital-acquired infections or community-acquired infections are the cause of more victims than breast cancer, road accidents and HIV together each year in Québec or Canada.
In Quebec only, per year:
- 1 out of 9 hospital patients contracts an infection (11%) for a total of 90 000.
- 4000 deaths
In France: 4,9% (2008 statistics)
In the Netherlands and in Sweden, less than 1% for MRSA only
At least 50% of HAI are avoidable with proper hand hygiene. It is time that Quebec/Canada recognize the imperative need to enforce the strictest measures in order to reduce the number of HAI cases.
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