Alcoholic hand gel & health troubles: prisoners used it to get drunk, now children drink it!

Alcoholic hand gel ‘is being drunk by children’. • Hand hygiene – the latest new headlines! After 2009 reports about prisoners misusing alcoholic hand gel (they drank it to get drunk), recently the Irish National Poisons Information Centre (NPIC) made another report of worisome side-effects of alcoholic hand gel. It appears that a relatively high percentage of children got ingested after using alcoholic hand gel. John Herbert, NPIC spokesman, said that the organisation was concerned at the trend, which reflected the increasing availability of these products in hospitals, businesses and other healthcare institutions in 2009: “We saw a pretty steady increase in the number of calls around November last year. however, that since the spike in calls, numbers had dropped to eight in 2010 so far.” The NPIC received 54 enquiries and 74pc of these related to children. In 2008, there were just 20 calls from concerned doctors who were treating patients who had ingested alcohol hand gel! SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Hand hygiene news: 2010-2008 headlines! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Misleading hand gel sanitizers… waist of money?’

HAND HYGIENE – Still the best strategy for swine flu prevention? (H1N1 influenza virus)

Is hand hygiene still the best strategy for swine flu prevention?

Research on hand hygiene & swine flu (H1N1 influenza) prevention! New research points out: ‘hand-to-face touch’ is a crucial link in catching swine flu and infection is likely not limited to body-contact! The global death toll arrived beyond 5000, and the stronger ‘momentum’ of the second wave of the H1N1 virus is now observed on 3 continents.

On wednesday september 8, Barack Obama told students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia: “I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.” But the new reports indicate that washing hands is likely not enough to stop the H1N1 influenza virus – so it does make sense that governments recommend an anti-virus swine flu shot! Anyway, just remember: ‘… think about your hand hygiene!’ SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • A kiss is healthier than a handshake! • Your health is in your hands! • More hand hygiene reports!

Hands on hand hygiene: Obama’s council of advisors about the swine flu!

Swine flu prevention starts with proper hand hygiene! Did you know that the average hand hygiene compliance rate is only 40%? That’s a major concern in the perspective of the swine flu pandemic – especially since governments has stated worldwide that hand hygiene is one of the few effective tools to prevent infection with the H1N1 influenza A virus! While the Medline hand hygiene compliance program was initially developed as a combat against healthcare acquired conditions, now it the program can serve as an additional tool for to stop the swine flu pandemic (a.k.a. the Mexican flu). Earlier this week the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a report describing a plausible scenario saying: “…swine flu pandemic could: • produce infection of 30-50% of the U.S. population this fall and winter; • cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the United States concentrated among children and young adults.” While the annual deaths associated with seasonal flu in the United States is only 30,000-40,000 mainly among people over 65! Remember, on wednesday july 29 (2009), Barack Obama told the Americans that swine flu prevention is not only an issue of the governement, individuals must also do their part. Obama said: “Keep your hands washed, cover your mouth when you cough, stay home from work if you are sick, keep your children home from school if they are sick.” SO, IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR PREVENTION AGAINST THE H1N1 INFLUENZA A VIRUS … THINK ABOUT YOUR HAND HYGIENE!!! MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE AT: • Hands on ‘hand hygiene’! • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Obama’s council of advisors about the swine flu! • Barack Obama’s recommendation for swine flu prevention: the fist bump!

Swine flu battle hits Brazilian priests: ‘no holding hands, nor shaking hands’ – God doesn’t provide immunisation!

Priests reinforce the ’10 commandments for hand hygiene’!: Last week two Brazilian priests made various recommendations on hand hygiene guidelines for religious meetings. Changing religious habits appears to another tool for containing the swine flu in Latin America’s largest country. The Brazilian Roman Catolic priest Roberto Francisco Daniel (a.k.a. ‘Padre Beto’) told his congregation: “…not to hold hands while saying the Lord’s Prayer and to refrain from shaking hands and kissing in his morning mass to avoid getting swine flu. At least if you don’t have skin touching, you eliminate contact with secretions of somebody infected.” Recently ‘Padre Beto’ faced a dilemma when called to a hospital to bless a Catholic with the swine flu. But he had to decline the request, following a recommendation from the hospital crew. “Even religious matters need to have a limit” Padre Beto said. “I asked them to tell her we were praying for her.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Hand gel sales rocket in the UK due to swine flu fears! • Barack Obama’s recommendation for swine flu prevention: the fist bump! • More swine flu prevention: the 10 commandments for hand hygiene! • The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic!

Swine flu fears in Great Britain: sale of hand gel rocket in Worksop!

On july 14, swine flue was reported to hit the Bassetlaw region with three suspected cases of swine flue (Influenza A – H1N1), and in at least one of those cases a nine-year-old child at Worksop’s St John’s Primary School was confirmed to be suffering from the disease. On july 23 ‘National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS)’ was launched featured with the simple advice ‘CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT’ – and within a few hours the website crashed due to its popularity. On july 25 – last saturday – sales of hand gel had rocket in Worksop due to the swine flue fears. What can you do? To help limit the spread, wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water. Antibacterial, alcohol hand gels can stop the virus. When sneezing, catch all droplets in a clean tissue and dispose in a bin immediately. If you are diagnosed with swine flu, stay at home. Adults are generally infectious to others for five days, children for seven days. Do not go to work until all of the symptoms have cleared and you are fully recovered. According the ‘National Pandemic Flu Service’ the basic rules to prevent from being affected by the disease are: “- Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible; - Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully; - Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from our hands to face or to other people; - Cleaning hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product; - Making sure your children follow this advice.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • A kiss is healthier than a handshake! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands!

The clinician handwashing poll results at Medscape Today!

In april 2009 Medscape Today presented the results of a poll among clinicians focussed on their response when patients “speak up” with questions about care and hand hygiene. Let’s take a look at the clinicians responses. Posters in hospitals encourage patients to “Speak Up” with questions about their care, such as about clinician hand washing. Although many patients don’t speak up, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the ones that do are met with a variety of reactions. How do you respond when patients request that you wash your hands? THE POLL RESULTS: A. I appreciate the reminder - 56% (2831) B. I appreciate the reminder, but I don’t really need it. 22% (1113) C. I’m annoyed, but still appreciate the reminder. 6% (348) D. I’m slightly irritated because I always wash my hands before entering a patient’s room, they just don’t see it. 14% (700) (Total Responses: 4992; Poll was conducted during the period: 21-Apr-2009 – 28-Apr-2009) INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS RELATED TO HANDWASHING: • The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic! • Health warning: why hand sanitizers may increase risk of swine flu exposure! • Hand hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Hand-washing prevent food-borne illnesses! • A kiss is healthier than a handshake!

The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic!

DO YOU KNOW the “etiquette rules” to prevent a swine flu pandemic? It is all about hand hygiene & no handshakes! Six of the most important swine flue etiquette rules to prevent a swine flue pandemic – all are related to hand hygiene – are: • No handshaking! – No handshake, high five, nor intimate greatings such as: beso-beso, touching cheeks, air kisses; • Do not sneeze nor cough in your hands! – Use a handkerchief, tissue, or your t-shirt; • Wash your hands frequently! – Even at home, and don’t forget the soap; • Wash your hands before and after eating! Additional options are: • You can use alcohol hand cleaners when washing your hand; • The ultimate protection is to stay at home & wear a face mask – though the experts agree that the biggest benefit of a mask is when they are worn by those who are already sick! Dr. Richard Besser (acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control) says: “I would rather people really focus on hand washing, not giving that little kiss of greeting when you’re meeting someone, of doing those sorts of things, covering your cough and your sneeze.” Source: The Canadian Press