The WHO (World Health Organization) suggests that the "five important features of hand hygiene" are:Hand hygiene should be performed before contact with the patient, before cleaning (aseptic) operations, after contact with body fluids, after contact with the patient, and after contact with the patient's surroundings. Hand hygiene is an umbrella term for hand washing, sanitary hand disinfection, and surgical hand disinfection.
Maintaining hand hygiene is effective prevention and control of pathogens transmission, thus reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired infections basic, simple and effective means. In particular, ICU nosocomial infections are higher than those in general wards, and its infection links are complex, and the hands of healthcare workers, including caregivers, have the highest chance of coming into contact with critically ill patients in the course of diagnosis and care.
Hand hygiene is mainly for healthcare workers in the risk of cross-infection in the work of the measures taken, is an important means of hospital infection control.
Five important moments of hand hygiene also known as "two before and three after":
1,Moment one, before contact with the patient. Hand hygiene for healthcare workers is practiced during these three times when entering the patient area, when approaching the patient, or before touching the patient.
2. Moment two, before performing aseptic manipulation. Hand hygiene for healthcare workers is practiced before there will be direct or indirect contact with patient mucous membranes, broken skin, or invasive medical equipment.
3. Moment three, after exposure to body fluids. Hand hygiene for healthcare workers is implemented after contact with a patient's blood or other body fluids and before contact with any other surface, such as performing invasive procedures, removing protective equipment, etc.
4. Moment four, after contact with the patient. Hand hygiene for healthcare workers is implemented after contact with the patient's intact skin, surfaces in the patient's immediate environment, including after daily contact, life care, and non-invasive treatments or examinations.
5, moment five, after contact with the patient's surroundings. Hand hygiene for healthcare workers is practiced after the last contact with the patient's surroundings, including daily cleaning activities, and nursing activities that do not directly contact the patient.
Hand hygiene hand washing refers to the process by which healthcare workers wash their hands with soap or soap solution and running water to remove hand skin dirt, debris and some pathogenic bacteria. To achieve the cleanest level of general handwashing hygiene, handwashing should ideally last no less than 20 seconds.
Hygienic hand sanitization is the process by which healthcare workers rub their hands with a quick-drying hand sanitizer to reduce transient germs on the hands.
Surgical hand disinfection refers to the process by which medical personnel wash their hands with soap (liquid) or antibacterial soap (liquid) and running water prior to surgical procedures, and then use hand sanitizers to remove or kill transiently resident and resident bacteria on the hands.