31/05/2018

Hand hygiene campaign: know the correct techniques of hygiene and the importance of the habit in the prevention of infectious diseases

By Amanda Albuquerque / Press Office HRCPP

May 5 was defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world day of hand hygiene. This year’s initiative was aimed at health professionals, recalling the main moments in which clinicians, nurses and auxiliaries should carry out the hygiene procedures to avoid the transmission of infections.

The WHO recommends five moments for hand hygiene, being: 1) before contact with the patient; 2) before the aseptic procedure; 3) after exposure to bodily fluids; 4) after contact with the patient; 5) After contact with areas close to the patient.

According to the infectologist Alexandre Portelinha, for more than two hundred years it has been known that the hands are the carriers of bacteria and viruses, that is, the microorganisms that cause diseases. “Diarrhea, conjunctivitis, viral diseases like influenza, hepatitis A, and so on. In addition, it is a simple and inexpensive procedure, you simply wash your hand with soap and water or, then, use alcohol in gel”, he explains.

Portelinha also explains when to perform washing with soap and water and when to opt for alcohol gel. “You should always use soap and water when there is dirt on your hands, for example if you have blood or a discharge. The use of alcohol gel should be done when the person does not see, with the naked eye, the dirt in their hands, “he explains. The infectologist also guides the duration of each process: from 40 to 60 seconds, with soap and water; and 20 to 30 seconds with alcohol gel.