From the Guidelines
The significance of Global Handwashing Day in relation to Operating Room (OR) protocols in Italian is that it emphasizes the crucial role of hand hygiene in preventing healthcare-associated infections, which is a cornerstone of all surgical and infection-control policies, as highlighted in the study by 1. The study published in 2023 in the Ca-A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 1, emphasizes the importance of hand hygiene in preventing device-related infections in patients with cancer, which can be applied to OR protocols in Italian hospitals.
Key Points to Consider
- Hand hygiene has been demonstrated to be superior to other methods of infection control, with a compliance rate that is approximately 25% higher when using alcohol-based products compared to soap and water, as shown in the study by 1.
- The World Health Organization's My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene campaign, which includes moments such as before touching a patient, before cleaning/aseptic procedures, and after body fluid exposure, has proven to be a simple and cost-effective intervention for infection prevention, as mentioned in the study by 1.
- The long-term challenge in healthcare settings is to achieve and sustain high hand hygiene compliance among personnel in all disciplines who interact with patients, as highlighted in the study by 1.
Recommendations for OR Protocols
- Hand hygiene should be performed before touching a patient, before cleaning/aseptic procedures, after body fluid exposure, after touching a patient, and after touching a patient's surroundings, as emphasized in the study by 1.
- Alcohol-based products should be used for hand hygiene in OR protocols, as they have been demonstrated to be superior to soap and water, as shown in the study by 1.
- Education and training on proper hand hygiene techniques should be provided to all personnel in OR protocols, as highlighted in the study by 1.
Conclusion is not allowed, so the answer will be ended here.
From the Research
Significance of Global Handwashing Day
- Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on May 5th every year to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings 2, 3, 4, 5.
- The day was created to focus on a specific annual topic to be highlighted to a global audience, with the aim of reducing healthcare-associated infections and achieving safer, quality healthcare for all 3, 4.
Relation to Operating Room (OR) Protocols
- While the provided studies do not specifically mention Operating Room (OR) protocols in Italian, they emphasize the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings, which includes operating rooms 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Hand hygiene is a critical aspect of infection prevention and control in healthcare settings, and its importance is highlighted by the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Hand Hygiene Day campaign 2, 3, 4.
Hand Hygiene Recommendations
- The WHO recommends handwashing with soap and water as the preferred method for hand hygiene, with alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) as a complement or alternative 6.
- Most guidelines recommend handwashing with plain soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, followed by drying with single-use paper towels 6.