 |
|
Gel-based handrub improves hospital hygiene
May 03, 2007Giving health care workers easy access to alcohol-based handrubs can improve hygiene in hospitals, a study published today in the Online Open Access journal Critical Care suggests.
Good hand hygiene among health care workers can help minimise the spread of infections within hospitals. Alcohol-based handrubs are the standard method of hand hygiene worldwide, yet compliance amongst hospital staff remains low.
One of the best ways to boost compliance is to give workers bottles of handrub to keep in their pockets, report Prof Didier Pittet and colleagues from the University of Geneva Hospitals, Switzerland, who monitored the hand hygiene of 102 health care workers based in the same intensive care unit. Using a gel, rather than liquid-based product also made hand hygiene more acceptable and was reported to improve the skin condition of workers' hands.
The workers were first given access to a liquid-based handrub, which was then switched a few months later to a gel-based formulation of the same product. An independent observer recorded opportunities for hand hygiene and actual hand cleansing.
Overall compliance was low, with nurses most likely to follow hand hygiene recommendations compared to doctors. When the gel was introduced, compliance increased from 32% to 41%. But making the handrub immediately available generated the biggest increase in compliance - a jump of 15%.
Some hand hygiene measures have previously been found to cause skin irritation and more than half the health care workers in the study reported they preferred the gel to the liquid-based product, indicating that it improved the condition of their skin. No cases of significant skin damage occurred with either formulation of the handrub. Alongside availability, improved skin tolerance is an important factor in trying to persuade health care workers to take the necessary steps to improve hand hygiene.
BioMed Central
The workers were first given access to a liquid-based handrub, which was then switched a few months later to a gel-based formulation of the same product. An independent observer recorded opportunities for hand hygiene and actual hand cleansing.
Overall compliance was low, with nurses most likely to follow hand hygiene recommendations compared to doctors. When the gel was introduced, compliance increased from 32% to 41%. But making the handrub immediately available generated the biggest increase in compliance - a jump of 15%.
Some hand hygiene measures have previously been found to cause skin irritation and more than half the health care workers in the study reported they preferred the gel to the liquid-based product, indicating that it improved the condition of their skin. No cases of significant skin damage occurred with either formulation of the handrub. Alongside availability, improved skin tolerance is an important factor in trying to persuade health care workers to take the necessary steps to improve hand hygiene.
BioMed Central
Hygiene Current Events and Hygiene News RSSSurface bacteria maintain skin's healthy balance
On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury.
Study raises concerns about outdoor second-hand smoke
Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.
Prioritizing low-cost, simple health measures would save 2.5 million child lives a year
Almost a third of the children under age five who die each year could be saved if governments rebalance health spending to ensure low-cost, simple interventions such as safe water and hygiene, bed nets and basic maternal and newborn care, leading aid agency World Vision said today. Currently, 8.8 million children a year die before age five, most of preventable causes.
Government's NHS Plan linked to striking improvements in critical care
Survival among patients in intensive care units in England has improved significantly since the implementation of the NHS Plan in 2000, finds new research published on bmj.com today.
Workplace BPA exposure increases risk of male sexual dysfunction
High levels of workplace exposure to Bisphenol-A may increase the risk of reduced sexual function in men, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing in the journal Human Reproduction, published by Oxford Journals.
Poorly cleaned public cruise ship restrooms may predict norovirus outbreaks
team of researchers from Boston University School (BUSM), Carney Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance and Tufts University School of Medicine, have found that widespread poor compliance with regular cleaning of public restrooms on cruise ships may predict subsequent norovirus infection outbreaks (NoVOs).
Sneezing in times of a flu pandemic
The swine flu (H1N1) pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. The World Health Organization, in addition to providing frequent updates about cases of infection and death tolls, recommends hyper vigilance in daily hygiene such as frequent hand washing or sneezing into the crook of our arms.
Ineffective monotherapies common in high-burden malarious countries
ACTwatch, a research project led by PSI, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, released evidence today that indicates that artemisinin combination therapy, the most effective medicines for treating malaria, continue to have a significantly low presence on the market among populations considered to be most at risk.
Benefit of memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease not proven
There is no scientific proof that patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine.
Older Patients with Dementia at Increased Risk for Flu Mortality
An epidemiological study on pneumonia and influenza (P&I) in adults age 65 and over reports that patients with dementia are diagnosed with flu less frequently, have shorter hospital stays, and have a fifty percent higher rate of death than those without dementia.
More Hygiene Current Events and Hygiene News Articles
 |
Personal Hygiene? What's That Got To Do by Pat Crissey (Author) This book is a curriculum developed for students with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, learning and developmental disabilities, designed to help them understand how others perceive their appearance and the social implications of neglecting personal hygiene. Simple factual information is accompanied by humorous cartoons that emphasize how others view someone with poor hygiene and explain exactly what the student needs to do to ensure good hygiene. Quizzes and activity pages provide numerous opportunities for repetition and reinforcement of the key points. There are also hands-on activities to demonstrate why and how to perform various hygiene tasks. Several social stories are also provided, along with a set of worksheets that help students set up a daily schedule to allow time for completing... |
 |
No B.O.!: The Head-to-Toe Book of Hygiene for Preteens by Marguerite Crump M.A. M.Ed. (Author) Puberty can be a pain. Who needs acne? Stinky feet? B.O.? Good hygiene can make a big difference in how kids feel about themselves during this challenging time. It can also make a difference in how others feel about them. This frank, reassuring, humorous book covers the physical changes boys and girls experience during puberty and offers tips on caring for oneself from head to toe. Fascinating facts, friendly suggestions, and funny illustrations combine in a lighthearted approach that kids find appealing and nonthreatening. Previously titled Don’t Sweat It!, this book is recommended for all upper elementary and middle school students, their parents, teachers, coaches, counselors, and anyone else who cares about kids. |
 |
Dental Hygiene Preferred Complete Day/Night Mouth Guard Kit, Colors may vary by Hygiene Preferred As a Registered Dental Hygienist, this is the same model night guard I wear and recommend to my patients! Excessive grinding and clenching of the teeth can be extremely damaging. Premature failure of dental restorations, breakage of teeth and gum line recession are common problems associated with the grinding/clenching habit known as bruxism. In our dental practice we make custom fitted guards that sell for hundreds of dollars but we offer these as an alternative when cost is a concern. After trying dozens of OTC (over the counter) mouth guard models these have proven to be the best fitting most comfortable day/night brux/clench/grind guard. These will double as a sports mouth guard but are intended to be used as a protective device for people who grind and clench their teeth and are... |
 |
Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity by Virginia Smith (Author) In this pioneering book, Virginia Smith combines archeology, psychology, biology, and sociology to reveal how and why standards of cleanliness have come to exist today. Using hundreds of first-hand accounts and sources, Smith bring us from the Neolithic age to the present, peppering her engaging prose with enlightening and often surprising details. Subconscious cleanliness has been with us since the first cell ejected a foreign invader. Even at the earliest stages of human development, our bodies produced pleasure-giving chemical opiates when things smelled or felt clean, inducing us to do things like bathing and removing dirty clothes. The need to be clean led directly to socialization, as we turned to our fellows for help with those hard to reach spots. In Eurasia during the... |
 |
WASH YOUR HANDS! (Little Princess Books) by Tony Ross (Author), Tony Ross (Illustrator) When the little princess hears about the germs and nasties living all around her, she understands the importance of washing her hands a lot. |
 |
C.E.T. HEXtra Premium Oral Hygiene Chews with Chlorhexidine, Large Dogs, 30 Chews by Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews for Dogs with Chlorhexidine |
 |
Squeaky Clean Hygiene (Learning Works) by Linda Schwartz (Author), Beverly Armstrong (Author), Beverly Armstrong (Illustrator) |
 |
Sentimental Hygiene by Warren Zevon 24-bit digitally remastered reissue of 1987 album with 2 bonus tracks 'Leave My Monkey Alone' (Spanish version), 'Nocturne' (instrumental). Virgin. 2003. |
|
International Food Hygiene by Positive Action Publ Ltd | |
 |
Maxim Ultra Thin, Winged, Chlorine Free, Hypoallergenic Pads, Overnight, 10 Count Boxes (Pack of 3) by Maxim Hygiene Products, Inc. Maxim organic and natural products provide the most intimate personal care by using the most natural, soft and safe materials. The methods and materials used in manufacturing our products help preserve our global environment. Maxim ultra thin pads are made with 100% natural cotton and the cover sheet, the part of the pad in direct contact with the body, is 100% cotton. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |