Hand Washing: Do You Know All The Facts? Probably Not!

Posted on | April 5, 2011 | 2 Comments

Mike Magee

It’s been over 20 years since I began nearly every work day in front of a deep water sink in a surgical suite. The 10 minute wash was something I learned properly on the first day of my residency at the University of North Carolina. I stuck to the routine, and as far as I can tell, it worked well for me and my patients.

Of course, outside the OR, things were a bit different. In those days, the difference was most evident in the intensive care units, which from time to time had to be closed down to control outbreaks. On patient units, things were more lax. Back in the 70’s, I don’t remember much discussion about hand washing on units. Sinks weren’t readily available. Gloves were in the stock room, and nurses layed them out in the room if a dressing change was due.

In 1974, in my second year of residency, five of us (doctors and nurses) were infected with Hepatitis B from a gun shot victim we were caring for. I remember being furious when I woke up one morning with yellow sclera. I got a month off and thank goodness, fully recovered. But I never could pinpoint the moment of infection, though it likely was tied in some way to inadequate skin protection and cleansing.

This past January, our daughter and her husband gave birth to twin girls. They came early and spent 3 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. I was reintroduced to the routine of hand washing by my daughter, who had been taught the technique by their nurses. She not only educated me well, but was militant – as she should be – in the protection of her children.

(The Twins and Their Cousins)

Before then, if you were to ask me if I understood the facts about hand washing technique, I would have said yes. But I didn’t completely. There were subtleties. That is why I’m encouraging you to watch the New England Journal of Medicine video on hand washing above. I can almost guarantee, whether you are a provider of care or a consumer of care, you will learn something of great value from this time well spent.

Category: preventative care, prevention, public health
Tags: hand washing > hospital acquired infections > nosocomial infrctions

Comments

2 Responses to “Hand Washing: Do You Know All The Facts? Probably Not!”

Andi Sadowski
May 5th, 2011 @ 11:19 am

I am the Direcotr of Clinical Consutation for Ebenezer Skilled Nursing Facilities located in Minnesota. We have 5 facilities within the state. Can we have permission to use this video for teaching puposes within our skilled nursing facilities?

Andi Sadowski, RN, MS, RAC-CT,LNHA
Mike Magee
February 4th, 2015 @ 5:53 pm

Permission to use