Proper Hand Hygiene Can Prevent Major Healthcare-Associated Infections

Hyderabad:Hand hygiene is a crucial measure in controlling infections. healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) which are a significant public health issue.”Infection prevention and control (IPC) interventions can reduce HAIs and antimicrobial resistance by at least 35 per cent if hand hygiene practices are 80 per cent effective. This is the most cost-effective method to prevent infections,” said Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, president of the Infection Control Academy of India, ahead of Global Handwashing Day on October 15.He added, ” High-quality water, sanitation and hygiene services, along with IPC programmes and hand hygiene, can lower HAIs by up to 70 per cent. Research shows that for every one dollar that is invested in hand hygiene in healthcare settings, the return is 24.6 in health and productivity gains.”Dr Burri emphasised that proper hand hygiene can prevent all types of HAIs, including central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and surgical site infections (SSI).”HAIs often result from poor maintenance of sterile zones in treatment environments,” said Dr Vamshi Krishna from Gandhi Hospital. “Equipment and apparatus should be regularly sterilised and handwashing, which involves seven steps and should last up to three minutes, is crucial.”When soap and water aren’t available, sanitisers or surgical spirit can be used for quick disinfection, Dr Krishna said. However, infections that spread through body fluids or aerosols cannot be prevented by handwashing alone.GFXThe National Infection Prevention and Control guidelines emphasise hand hygiene, including alcohol-based gand rubs (ABHRs), as essential for healthcare workers and patients to prevent the spread of pathogens.Improving hand hygiene requires infrastructure improvements, access to hygiene tools, training, and compliance monitoring.A 2023 study demonstrated that targeted hand hygiene interventions in Indian ICUs reduced infection cross-transmission by 50 per cent.