John Hines, research and development director at skin care expert Deb, looks at the impact of hand hygiene on preventing infections in hospitals, and how medical staff can monitor their efforts to comply with hand washing procedures.
Being admitted to hospital can be a stressful time for patients and their families in any circumstances. However, the risk of contracting unnecessary, and sometimes fatal, infections is an added burden that patients should not have to bear in a modern healthcare facility.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimates that one in 16 patients contracts a healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) while in hospital1 - a figure that rises to one patient in three in intensive care units (ICUs).2 This represents more than 300,000 people in England every year, according to the Department of Health3 with approximately 5,000 of these infections proving fatal.3
Resistant bacteria brings greater risks (and costs)
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