The 2005 National Hand Washing Awareness Week is Dec. 4-10. Dr. Will Sawyer's Henry the Hand Foundation is endorsed by the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. "Henry the Hand," has met more than 150,700 public health and health care professionals and adults, and has presented his "Champion Hand Washing Program" to more than 110,000 students nationwide. To learn more about 'Henry the Hand," log on to www.henrythehand.com.
Below are two Practical Application tips and helpful links for more information about germs and bacteria.
Practical Application Tip #1
During National Hand Washing Awareness Week, hand out index cards or business cards, and create a sign for your office's educational bulletin board that reads: "Henry the Hand: Spread the Word, Not the Germs."
• WASH your hands when they are dirty and BEFORE eating.
• DO NOT cough into your hands.
• DO NOT sneeze into your hands.
• Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth
Practical Application Tip #2
Read and print out the following "tips for health-care workers." Share with colleagues.
• When washing hands, repeated use of HOT (vs. warm) water may increase the risk of dermatitis.
• Liquid, bar leaflet or powdered soap is acceptable for handwashing with nonantimicrobial
soap and water.
• Handwashing, NOT alcohol-based handrubs, should be used to clean hands contaminated by bacterial spores such as Clostridiium difficile or Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax).
• Choose alcohol handrubs containing 60-95 percent isopropyl, ethanol or n-propanol.
• Choose alcohol handrubs with 1-3 percent glycerol or other emollients.
• Alcohol-based handrubs, rinses or gels containing emollients cause LESS skin irritation and dryness than soaps OR antimicrobial detergents tested.
• Alcohol-based handrubs, etc., should be stored away from high temperatures, flames, electrical outlets or oxygen receptacles, according to recommendations from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).
• It is NOT necessary, or recommended, to routinely WASH hands after application of
alcohol-based handrubs.
• Provide moisturizing skin care products or barrier creams for employee use. Ensure these products will not compromise glove barrier.
• Use of antimicrobial-impregnated wipes is considered equivalent to handwashing,
but they are not considered a substitute for alcohol handrubs or antimicrobial soap.
Adapted from: Boyce, J., Pittet, D., the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. MMWR, 2002, 51, RR-16
Here are some helpful links for more information about germs and bacteria and the role they play in illness:
• FDA Seafood Hotline, www.fda.gov
• American Society for Microbiology www.asmusa.org, www.washup.org
• USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline www.fsis.usda.gov
• CDC Foodborne Illness Information Line www.cdc.gov
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control www.apic.org
• Community & Hospital Infection Control Association Canada (CHICA) www.chica.org
