Deadly hospital infections Consistent hand hygiene saves lives

Proper hand washing helps against pathogens

Consistent hand hygiene is one of the most important measures to protect against dangerous infectious diseases. Especially in hospitals, staff, patients and visitors should always clean their hands thoroughly. Health experts point out this on the occasion of the International Day of Hand Hygiene.

Optimal hand hygiene protects against illnesses

Many children are taught at a young age the saying: "after the toilet and before eating - do not forget washing hands" taught. Unfortunately, sometimes it hampers with the execution, even with adults. And that although proper hand washing is the most important hygiene rule ever. It can significantly reduce the risk of infectious diseases. For the International Day of hand hygiene, experts explain what is important in hand hygiene - especially in hospitals.

Although consistent hand hygiene is one of the most important measures to protect against infectious diseases, it is often neglected. Especially in hospitals more attention should be given to proper hand washing and disinfection. (Picture: Picture-Factory / fotolia.com)

Hygiene is often too short

According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 80 percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted by hand.

According to medical experts, the risk of developing gastrointestinal infections, diarrhea, flu or cold can be significantly reduced by proper hand washing.

Nevertheless, the hygiene often comes too short, as a study by students of the Faculty of Applied Psychology of private SRH Hochschule Heidelberg showed.

In their investigation, they found that most people do not wash their hands properly after using the toilet.

Hand washing after the toilet visit

In order to reach their conclusion, the students looked over 1,000 visitors to public toilets in the Rhine-Neckar region:

"Around 7% completely abstained from washing their hands. 27% only washed their hands with water and around 58% used soap and water, but not with the necessary thoroughness. Only about 8% cleaned their hands exemplary, "the university reported in a statement.

Like other experts for this purpose recommends the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) at least a 20-second cleaning with soap and water, not only the palms, but also the spaces between the fingers.

Dangerous multidrug-resistant pathogens

The Heidelberg study made an important contribution to raising public interest in the topic.

On the occasion of the International Day of Action, health experts have now particularly pointed out why careful hand hygiene is so important, especially in hospitals.

There, especially the multidrug-resistant pathogen MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphyloccus aureus) causes problems.

"For sick or immunocompromised patients, such as those who have undergone fresh surgery, it can become a death-trap," explains Dr. med. Julia Gokel, Professor of Social Law at the SRH University of Heidelberg in a recent communication.

Every year 15,000 deaths from hospital infections

How dangerous so-called hospital infections can be, clarifies the Barmer health insurance. According to this, around 500,000 people in Germany suffer from it each year. As a result, up to 15,000 patients die every year.

One third of these infections are considered preventable, especially through the disinfection of the hands.

"The action Clean Hands and other initiatives have already changed a lot for the better. Nevertheless, in some hospitals, nursing homes and nursing homes, you can do even more to prevent infections. Here, the hygiene must be even better, "says Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Straub, CEO of Barmer.

According to the health insurance eliminate the properly performed hand hygiene pathogens such as bacteria, fungi or viruses, and the particularly dangerous so-called multidrug-resistant pathogens (MRP), against which almost no antibiotics worked.

"More than 80 percent of MRE are already brought to the hospital by patients or their relatives. They occur in many people on the skin or in the intestine, without causing an infection or discomfort, "writes the health insurance.

But it would always be dangerous if these germs are transmitted to people who are vulnerable. The right hand disinfection is here the most important measure against transmissions.

Do without handshaking

It can also be helpful to forego the handshake for the welcome.

After all, "are on our hands alone, about 10 million micro-organisms, some of which can also be sickening," the University Hospital Munster writes (UKM).

The staff of the clinic were able to check the effectiveness of their hand hygiene with the help of a portable UV lamp on the occasion of the international action day.

The knowledge of germ transmission and the importance of hand hygiene in everyday hospital life should also be impressively demonstrated to the patients and visitors by the instructive self-test with the lamp.

In other hospitals, such as the University of Leipzig, the lamps were also used with ultraviolet light.

"That is associated with a wow factor for many visitors or patients because they see that disinfected seemingly well not the same pathogen-free," says Prof. Iris Chaberny, Director of the Institute of Hygiene, Hospital Hygiene and Environmental Medicine at the University Hospital Leipzig.

For the staff, the offer had the effect of simply checking your own routine.

"Do my hand hygiene handles work, do I use the right amount of disinfectants, have I practiced a less optimal exercise? - these are questions that everyone in the hospital should provide workers a year at least once - and that we share the Welthändehygienetag "said hygiene expert. (Ad)