Dr. Gülay Çekiç Mor, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Bursa City Hospital, drew attention to the importance of hand hygiene to protect against infections in the winter season and made explanations about what to do for proper hand hygiene.
Stating that the simplest and most effective way to clean microorganisms on the hand is hand washing with soap and water, Uzm. Dr. Mor said, “Hand washing with plenty of water and foaming provides mechanical cleaning. It is a chemical washing with the effect of soap by disrupting the lipid membrane of viruses and bacteria. Of course, the duration of hand washing is important. After washing with plenty of foam and water for at least 20 - 30 seconds, drying hands with a disposable towel ensures the completion of hand hygiene. Since bacteria cannot grow in a dry environment, drying hands is also a necessary process after washing.”
Referring to the situations where hands should be washed in daily life, Uzm. Dr. Mor said, “We should wash our hands before and after entering and leaving the toilet during the day, before and after eating, before and after caring for the baby, after entering the house from outside. We shopped, we touched money, we should wash our hands. We have used public transportation, we should wash our hands afterwards. We also wash our hands before and after touching the patient in the hospital. This is also an important step in ensuring hygiene that prevents the transmission of microorganisms to the other patient.”
Prevents the spread of viruses
Stating that hand hygiene with water and soap is the most basic method of cleaning and protection from infectious diseases, Uzm. Dr. Mor said, “Our hands are our organs that are in the most communication with the outside world and contain the most microorganisms in our body. These microorganisms are bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Especially in people with low compliance with hand hygiene, such as children, it causes frequent infectious diseases, diarrhea outbreaks, and the spread of epidemics such as influenza influenza.”
Gloves increase infection
Finally, drawing attention to the mistakes made to ensure hand hygiene, Uzm. Dr. Mor continued his words as follows:
“Although hand hygiene is the simplest method, compliance rates are not at the rate we want even among healthcare workers. However, there is a glove method that our people misunderstand and think that it is effective in ensuring hand hygiene. Gloves do not ensure hand hygiene. It does not help us protect our hands from germs. On the contrary, it causes the spread of infectious diseases by developing a false self-confidence”.
İHA Haber Kodu: v