Help prevent infections: Wash your hands
By ERIKA KALP Manager, Infection Control Chambersburg Hospital

Don't get caught dirty handed! The Centers for Disease Control

nd Prevention (CDC) states that hand hygiene (hand washing) is he single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs.

How do we ensure that we are achieving good hand hygiene? First, we must know where the germs are lurking. What have your hands touched in the last 60 seconds? Did you touch your mouth, wipe your nose, rub your eyes? Did you touch your computer keyboard or mouse, grasp a coffee cup, lift a fork or spoon? What about in the last hour? Did you handle money, wring a dishcloth, grip a toothbrush,

flip a light switch, turn a doorknob, click a

remote control?

Now, let's think about the future of today. What is on your and's 'agenda' today? Perhaps, turning a steering wheel, pushing ell phone buttons, jingling house keys, petting a dog, wiping a hild's nose, pushing a grocery cart, holding onto a stair railing,

unching buttons at the ATM machine, pumping gas, touching a

ublic restroom door, shaking a hand, changing a diaper, squeezng tongs at the salad bar, flipping through a magazine at the docor's office waiting room? Your hands keep a very busy schedule,

ut there is one important thing that you need to include on your and's agenda - washing them. Washing your hands must be interoven

into your daily routine.

When was the last time you washed your hands? I don't mean ust running them under water so they get a little wet, or wiping hem on your jeans. I mean when was the last time you really

crub-a-dub-dubbed' them? With all of the tasks your hands perorm in a day, your hands accumulate millions of disease-causing

erms. You must make washing your hands first priority on the genda.

Most Americans admit that they are regular hand-washers. But,

id you know that in 2005, The American Society for Microbiology and the Soap and Detergent Association survey

ound that 91 percent of adults say they always wash their hands

fter using public restrooms; however just 83 percent were

bserved doing so. They also found that only 83 percent of Americans say they always wash their hands after using the bathoom

in their own homes, while only 77 percent wash their hands

efore handling or eating foods. Further, 42 percent of Americans

ash after petting a dog or cat, 32 percent wash after coughing or neezing and only 21 percent wash after handling money.

The statistics show that most are practicing good hand ygiene, but there are a significant number of people who choose ot to wash their hands thus exposing us to germs everyday. Are ou looking forward to the opportunity to shake hands with a hand

ashing 'rebel' at work, school, church, the grocery store or mall? robably not, but you may never know if the person you come in ontact with is boycotting good hand hygiene practices. You will ever know the hand washing status of the person who just before

ou, used the restaurant condiment dispenser, pushed the grocery

art, used the ATM machine, browsed the food menu or pushed

he elevator button. People carry germs on their hands and transmit germs through touching. Germs are on everything and are

verywhere! It is your responsibility to protect yourself from hese germs.

How can you best protect yourself from germs? Wash your ands! The CDC recommends that you adhere to the following

eps to achieve proper hand hygiene.

First, wet your hands with clean, warm, running water, apply oap and rub hands together briskly to make a lather for 15 to 20 econds. Next, rinse hands well under running water. Then, dry ands using a paper towel. Finally, use your paper towel to turn

ff the faucet. Hand washing is recommended before preparing or

ating food, after going to the restroom, changing diapers, tending o someone who is sick, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing,

fter handling garbage, and after handling an animal or animal

aste. Alcohol-based sanitizers are a safe, highly effective and onvenient alternative to hand washing, but should not be used

hen your hands are visibly soiled.

Hand hygiene is everyone's business. Break the chain of infecon

by washing your hands frequently and thoroughly. Preventing

n infection is literally in your hands. Take the 15 to 20 seconds o wash your hands; it could save you a case of the cold, flu, or

ven your life. Wash up!