Hospital hygiene, hand washing study

by Fatfreek 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  Fatfreek

  A hospital in Arkansas has isolated its entire intensive care unit and isn't admitting new patients due to the outbreak of a potentially deadly drug-resistant bacterial infection, FOXNews.com has confirmed...It is not known how the patients were exposed to the pathogen acinetobacter.
  
  The strain bears similarities to so-called "staph" infections but is unrelated, according to Chopra. It tends to afflict very sick people, can be fatal and is the third most common bacterial infection in hospital ICUs.
  
  In light of that overnight news of a nearby Hot Springs (AR) hospital I thought I'd share my recent experience. I spent a few days at our Camden hospital where my windowed room peered out to the nurses station island. Between that station and my room was a sink where much hand washing ritual took place.
  
  You'd think that all nurses who used this sink were fairly consistent in that practice. Nothing could be further from the truth. While I don't pretend that my observations (hey, I had little else to do) were scientific, they were enlightening.
  
  Of the nurses that used the sink (I asked one nurse and she said it was a requirement if they had just left a patient's room):
  

  • Some used soap and water.
  • Some used only water.
  • One turned the faucet on for a few seconds, then walked past.
  • Some didn't use it at all. From my vantage point I could see nurses go in and out of various rooms and never use the sink.

  Within that group were those who did or didn't use hot water (the sink had a mixing faucet).
  
  I'd say less than half of the nurses washed their hands properly.
  
  What are your experiences?
  
  Len Miller
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  carla

  Ewww! that's just gross and scary! You should send your unscientific report to the administration of the hospital and/or to a news outlet.
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  jgnat

  We had a local outbreak of the superbug and I hate to say it, the hospital did not fare well in the hygiene department.

  http://www.anticorruption.ca/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5350&sid=d1931afe154b54c34e8ad8dc6c1917d0

  I hope that exposures like this will smarten the hospitals up and restore faith in the system.
• 

  Fatfreek

  What a great report, Jgnat.

  I'm afraid it all seems to underscore human nature. If people can't see a germ it's difficult to convince them of its danger. Oh, we'll go thru the formality of doing things we're supposed to do -- as long as we think others are watching. Training, as your report suggests, certainly helps.

  During my career in manufacturing, admittedly a far cry from the hospital environment, we were all subject to procedures -- most of them written and formal. It was almost as if people would go out of their way to violate them, I suppose to prove their individuality, their superior intelligence with respect to the one who wrote some procedure. When found out they, of course, would be reprimanded, sometimes fired.

  I recently watched that Turner Classic movie biography re Louis Pasteur and his marvelous work on germ theory. This was near the middle of the 19th century, just a shade too late to help what may have actually killed U.S. president Lincoln. Scoffers of his day were the norm and were vociferous about it. Today, it seems, they are still the norm but keep quiet about it.

  With technology as it has now become, perhaps they'll come up with some video recording system directly above the washing stations. Oh, the freedom watchers will cry foul but superbug victims and their friends and relatives may applaud such a system.

  As an aside, my family and I were delighted to go through your province on our road trip a few months ago. That Vegreville egg was interesting and the West Edmonton Mall most memorable. The drive, however, down from Jasper to Banff was the best we've ever experience -- anywhere.

  Len Miller
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  buffalosrfree

  In hospitals i've been in the last 10 yrs, when nurse came into room they used a perell (spelling) ((antibacterial anyway) solution and washed their hands with it and then used it upon leaving. I always watched them the RN's and CNA's and made sure that they didn't touch me unless they washed their hands first and that included any one giving me care. I had enough problems without their giving me more. The problem was getting them to your room when you had a problem. It could take 10-30 minutes and mostly it was the 30 minute thing.
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  Awakened07

  I don't know how it is in the States, but in hospitals where I live, they use alcohol dispensers that are placed on the walls all over the hospital wards to make their hands sterile. Hand washing with soap and water is less frequent. But the use of alcohol solution (with added lubricant so as to not be so abrasive to the skin) is much more efficient that soap+water. A proper hand wash with soap+water should take 30 seconds, while a proper disinfection routine using the alcohol solution is 15 seconds. In addition, a lot more bacteria is killed using the alcohol solution than soap+water, even though it takes longer. So perhaps the nurses you saw was using alcohol instead of washing their hands. They should still wash them when they are visibly contaminated (dirty) though.
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  Fatfreek

  I don't know how it is in the States, but in hospitals where I live, they use alcohol dispensers that are placed on the walls all over the hospital wards to make their hands sterile. Hand washing with soap and water is less frequent.

  To be fair, my "recent" experience was some 4 years ago. (the term recent spreads out the closer one gets to age 67) Perhaps our local hospital has also adopted the Purell technique. At that time, however, I can only tell you what the nurse told me.

  I liked that alcohol dispenser as we entered the seating area at one restaurant several months ago. I didn't see one patron neglect to use it. There, of course, is human nature at work. We all knew others nearby may be watching us. Exactly the kind of social pressure a hospital worker needs IMHO.

  Len
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  exwitless

  Well, I'm a nurse, so I have to jump in here.

  I don't doubt that too many nurses don't wash their hands properly. But keep in mind, the nurses you observed may have washed their hands in the patient's room before exiting or upon entering. As far as the water temp goes, it doesn't matter. Even hot water out of the faucet isn't hot enough to kill germs. That's why you have to use soap.

  Regarding the infection outbreak you mentioned: I wonder how well the DOCTORS are doing washing their hands before and after each patient. The doctor I work for is meticulous about handwashing, but other doctors I have observed are not so careful. Also, visitors are equally guilty of non-handwashing.

  As far as the antibacterial hand santizing gel, I think they are great for a quick disinfecting on occasion, but they NEVER will replace the need for handwashing. In the nursing home I used to work at, we could use the sanitizing gel up to five times between patients if there was minimal contact with the patient (i.e. NOT after caring for a catheter, cleaning up bodily fluids, etc.), then we had to wash with soap and water. That was the regulation from the State Board of Health.
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  BrentR

  Handwashing removes the pathogens where hand sanitizing gels have the potentail to create mutant bacterias after a a while. That is creating yet another problem.
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  Fatfreek

  hand sanitizing gels have the potentail to create mutant bacterias after a a while. That is creating yet another problem.

  Hmmm ... why would modern 1st world governments allow such a thing if it poses that kind of threat?

  Len