April 25, 2022 admin
Break the Chain of Infection: Correct way for hand disinfection
An overview of the Chain of Infection:
Infectious diseases are caused by the contact of agent, host, and environment, according to the conventional epidemiologic triad model. Transmission happens when a pathogen leaves its reservoir or host by a portal of exit, is transferred by some route of transmission, and infects a susceptible host through an appropriate portal of entry. The infection chain is a term used to describe this sequence. The habitat in which an infectious agent generally lives, matures, and replicates is known as the reservoir. Humans, animals, and the environment all have reservoirs. The reservoir could be the source of an agent’s transmission to a host or it could not. Human reservoirs exist for several prevalent infectious diseases. An individual with an undetectable infection who is capable of transferring the pathogen to others is known as a carrier. Those who are asymptomatic, passive, or healthy carriers exhibit no symptoms while being sick. Carriers frequently transmit the disease because they are unaware that they are infected and, as a result, do not take additional care to prevent transmission. Symptomatic people who are aware of their sickness, on the other hand, are less likely to spread infection because they are either too sick to go out, take care to prevent transmission, or are receiving therapy that keeps the disease at bay.
Infection control: what does it mean?
Infection control, according to the CDC, prevents or limits the spread of infections in healthcare settings. Infection management is vital in any healthcare setting. Because of the nature of the healthcare setting, all patients and professionals are at risk of infection. Infection prevention and control are based on scientific and practical approaches that strive to reduce such vulnerability and safeguard our communities. Infection control procedures are based on epidemiology, social science, and infectious disease expertise. The measures are intended to lower the risk of infections associated with a stay in the hospital while also promoting a safe and healthy environment for patients. Approximately one in every 30 people dies from an infection that could have been avoided if effective infection control procedures had been followed. As a result, hospitals recruit infection control specialists to prevent unintentional and unwanted infections.
Basic infection control procedures are straightforward, efficient, and usually common sense. Many lives can be saved in and outside of hospital environments by taking these procedures seriously and implementing the appropriate measures. These pieces of advice can also be used by the general public to support public health. It commonly includes proper following hand hygiene, and surface and environmental disinfection. One must sanitize hands frequently when present in a hospital environment. Our hands are the hub of microbial contaminants. Therefore, hands must be cleaned before and after touching surfaces, patients, and eating.
Breaking the chain of infection with hygienic hands:
The prerequisite step to breaking the chain of infection is appropriate hand hygiene. Indian culture has been following the ayurvedic practices for thousands of years. A sloka from Asthanga Hridaya states “Washing the hands ensures that the senses do not receive the dust and dirt of the hands travels across life, sleep and the adventures of a curious child.” Diseases and infections are part of the cycle but even after keeping them aside, it is generally good hygiene practice to wash your hands before doing essential activities. Hand Hygiene is an integral procedure in every medical facility as it is an ideal mantra against many preventable diseases. Hospitals are cluttered with alcohol gel dispensers and hand-washing signs, and with good purpose. Hand hygiene is the utmost important action that hospital staff may do to combat infection transmission.
It is estimated that it will curb the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) by 15% to 30%. Infected patients’ skin can shed organisms onto surrounding items or equipment, causing them to be transferred to the hands of hospital workers, where they can thrive for several minutes. If the staff member washes their hands or uses alcohol gel, the organisms are killed before they can spread to the next patient, object, or piece of equipment. Hand hygiene is sometimes disregarded by workers for a variety of reasons. Not only because, in such a hectic hospital setting, but there are also are typically so many other responsibilities that occupy a staff member’s attention. It is critical to ensure that there are enough alcohol gel dispensers in a convenient location around the hospital, as well as that they are refilled on a regular basis. Hand hygiene can be considerably improved by introducing personal bottles of hand gel.
Hand Hygiene solution from IMAEC MEDNTEK:
IMAEC MEDNTEK has a complete hand hygiene solution range that has broad areas of application. We provide the alcohol-based hand sanitisers, Prowipes EN which contains 80% Ethanol and Prowipes IP which contains 75% Isopropyl alcohol. As per the WHO recommendations the alcohol-based hand sanitiser contains 0.125% hydrogen peroxide for the stability of the alcohol. It also contains glycerol for protection from skin irritation. It is most recommended for hand hygiene in hospital facilities, pharmaceutical and food industries, research laboratories, etc. For pediatric use and for sensitive hands IMAEC provides Prowipes NAHS which is a non-alcoholic hand sanitiser. Prowipes NAHS contains benzethonium chloride that a first-generation quaternary ammonium compound. It is a non-flammable and skin protective formulation. All these hand sanitiser formulations are recommended by WHO for the safety of hands.
References:
- Break the Chain of Infection | infectionpreventionandyou.org. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://infectionpreventionandyou.org/protect-your-patients/break-the-chain-of-infection/
- comment,nfid in A. L. a. (2016, October 18). Help Break the Chain of Infection. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. https://www.nfid.org/2016/10/18/help-break-the-chain-of-infection/
- Infection Control: Breaking the Chain of Infection. (2020, December 22). Infection Control Results. https://www.infectioncontrolresults.com/breaking-infection-chain