Professor from Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Funda Timurkaynak gave information about the importance of hand hygiene.
Professor from Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Funda Timurkaynak, in her statement, said, “Hand hygiene is the most effective solution in preventing infections and fighting the spread of antibiotic resistance. Studies have shown that these infections can be reduced by 50% by increasing compliance with hand hygiene. Improving hand hygiene is a critical part of effective infection control. Therefore, it is indispensable for the safety of patients and healthcare workers. May 5 is designated as World Hand Hygiene Day by the World Health Organization. said..
Stating that not washing the hands correctly causes diseases, Timurkaynak said, “Hand hygiene is important in preventing diseases. Not washing hands properly and properly can lead to infectious diseases. Microbes taken from surfaces or materials in contact play a role in the spread of infectious diseases. Diseases such as flu, colds, diarrhea, eye infections and skin infections can occur with improper or non-application of hand hygiene. used the phrase.
"Hands must be washed while preparing food," said Prof. Dr. Funda Timurkaynak continued:
“Hands should be washed when coming home from outside, before and after eating, after using the toilet, after contact with garbage or chemicals, after contact with money, before and after contact with patients or body wounds, after coughing or sneezing.
Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) pose a serious threat to patient safety and emerge as an important problem affecting the quality of healthcare. It causes negative consequences such as loss of workforce, disability and death for patients. Studies have shown that 99.000 people in the USA and 37.000 people in Europe die due to HCAI. At the same time, the prolongation of hospitalization and additional treatments such as antibiotics impose a serious financial burden on the health system. In a study conducted in the USA, the most common 5 HCAI, that is, hospital infections, is 9.8. estimated at billions of dollars. At the same time, the intensive use of antibiotics for HCAI brings with it an increase in antibiotic resistance, which causes HCAI to become more difficult to treat.”
Considering these; Emphasizing that hand hygiene, when applied correctly during health care, means that it is a good investment that saves millions of lives and reduces the financial burden of SHIE. Dr. Funda Timurkaynak said, “May 5 is celebrated as World Hand Hygiene Day by the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to emphasize the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare services and to raise awareness. It is aimed to raise awareness among all stakeholders with separate messages and slogans for lawmakers, infection control team leaders and non-governmental organizations.” he said.
It is possible to be protected from diseases in 40 seconds and 10 steps!
- Your hand washing time should be at least 40 seconds. Dr. Funda Timurkaynak listed the following suggestions:
- Remove the soap after wetting your hands with water.
- Rub your palms in circular motions.
- With the right palm facing the back of the left hand, rub between your fingers.
- Do the same movements for both hands.
- Cleanse between your fingers by bringing your palms together.
- Wash the insides of the hands and the backs of the fingers, interlocking the hands.
- Rub your thumbs in circular motions.
- Rub the nails and fingertips in a circular motion, touching the palm of the other hand.
- After rinsing your hands with water, dry them with a disposable paper towel or towel.
- Your hands are safe after turning off the tap with a paper towel.