International Infection Prevention Week Kicks Off

International Infection Prevention Week, established by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), started Sunday. The week encourages healthcare personnel, patients, and families to celebrate the bravery and expertise of the infection prevention and control community. This year’s theme, Stand UPPP for a Safer Tomorrow, highlights uniting, preventing, protecting, and prevailing to champion infection prevention daily.

In recognition of the week, GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific, released the results of its latest hand hygiene research, spotlighting hand hygiene experiences of 100 nurses working in acute and long-term care/skilled nursing facilities.

While 92% of those polled asserted that practicing proper hand hygiene is critical, more than half agreed it is easy to miss a hand hygiene opportunity during a busy shift due to emergency situations; empty, inaccessible or nonworking soap or sanitizer dispensers; and skin irritation making washing/sanitizing uncomfortable or even painful.

Major health organizations, including APIC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO), consistently identify proper hand hygiene as one of the best approaches to preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings. Frequent hand hygiene practices, however, can take a toll on skin health, as only 14% of the survey participants described the skin on their hands as “normal, with no issues.” More than three quarters (76%) reported dry hands while others cited different conditions, including chapped (39%), sensitive (29%), cracked (26%), red (20%), uncomfortable (20%) and painful (11%) skin.

Nearly all survey participants (99%) reported that thorough hand drying after washing with soap and water is important for effective hand hygiene while most (59%) agree that hands are not thoroughly cleaned unless also thoroughly dried. Wet hands can increase susceptibility to harboring germs and impede the ability to put on gloves quickly. Paper towel quality was a factor, with 73% noting thicker varieties are more absorbent and hasten hand drying while 63% said nurses/staff are more likely to use softer paper towels because they feel better on dry/chapped hands.