Though health professionals have been emphasising hand hygiene for years, people have realised its significance only in the past two years. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught the world 'hand hygiene' -an essential aspect of protecting yourself and others from infection transmission. Hand hygiene is a general term that implies handwashing, hand antisepsis, and surgical hand antisepsis. These activities are defined as follows:
● Hand washing: Using water and a non-microbial soap to wash your hands.
● Hand antisepsis: It refers to using antiseptic handwash or avagard antiseptic hand rub.
● Surgical hand antisepsis: Antiseptic handwash or antiseptic hand rub are used by surgical personnel to eliminate transient and reduce resident hand flora.
Continue reading and find out additionally about these three handwashing activities.
Handwashing or social
handwashing
Handwashing means cleaning your hands to remove all physical dirt/ debris and prevent bacterial growth. Further, it helps curb the spreading of infectious diseases, and so the name social handwashing. This is a necessary infection control method that has become a social norm after the pandemic hit to reduce the spread of infectious viruses throughout society. You must have grown up hearing, wash your hands before you eat, wash your hands after using the bathroom, wash your hand after coming in contact with someone; all these were necessary social handwashing activities. The correct procedure for handwashing is- take warm water and antibacterial soap, wet your hands with soap and water, cleanse them for at least 30 seconds in a circular motion and rinse thoroughly. After this, make sure to dry your hands with a clean towel or a paper tissue.
Antiseptic handwashing
Antiseptic handwashing is a more stringent method of washing your hands than social handwashing. It is the type of handwashing in which antiseptic handwash is used to eliminate the transient flora without affecting the resident skin flora. This is the procedure used to destroy the microorganisms on the skin's surface with or without affecting the viruses or bacterias that typically reside on the surface. Antiseptic handwashing is required before and after coming in contact with a health professional or visiting a healthcare centre. Though this type of handwashing procedure is the same as that of social handwashing, you will have to use an antiseptic rub or antiseptic handwash instead of a soap.
Surgical handwashing
Surgical handwashing, also called medical handwashing, requires the removal of transient microorganisms and substantial reduction and suppuration of the surgical team's resident flora, especially for the duration of the operation. Though surgeons wear gloves while operating, in case a surgical glove is torn or punctured, their hands must be sterile. Hence, this is the most stringent type of handwashing done before performing operations and other surgical procedures. This is the only handwashing procedure in which hands and forearms are scrubbed up to the elbow for at least one minute before rinsing with water. Further, immediately after handwashing and drying with a sterile towel, gloves are worn to prevent microorganisms from returning to the skin's surface.
Now, if you feel cautious about your hand hygiene, look for avagard handwash or hand rub and shield yourself and others from infections. Keeping your hands clean is undoubtedly one of the most crucial steps you can take to keep yourself healthy and avoid spreading germs to others. Over that, you will save a lot of money because the less you fall sick, the less you will be spending on doctor's fees and medicines.
