|
|
For Immediate Release |
| October 25, 2002 | |
| Contact: Carol McKay | |
| 202-835-3323 | |
| media@nclnet.org |
NCL
Praises New CDC Guideline on Hand Hygiene
Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs Recommended as the Single Most Important Way to Prevent the Spread of Infection in Healthcare Facilities
WASHINGTON,
DC—Today the National Consumers League (NCL) praised the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new hand hygiene guideline for
healthcare facilities as an important step in protecting patients against the
spread of infection. The guideline, announced today by CDC Director Dr. Julie
Gerberding at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
in Chicago, recommends that
healthcare facilities use alcohol-based hand rubs (also known as instant hand
sanitizers) instead of soap and water, except when hands are visibly soiled. The
CDC guideline on hand hygiene has not been revised since 1985, and it replaces
the 1995 Handwashing Guidelines of the Association of Professionals in Infection
Control and Epidemiology.
The
release of the guideline comes amid heightened public awareness about the spread
of infections from the hands of nurses, doctors, technicians, and others as they
move from patient to patient. “An estimated 90,000 Americans die every year
from hospital-acquired infections. Some of these needless deaths could be
prevented by practicing simple hand hygiene procedures,” said Linda F.
Golodner, NCL president.
Studies
have shown only 20-50 percent of healthcare workers comply with hand hygiene
procedures.
Barriers
include: heavy workloads that make it difficult to find the time required for
proper handwashing; skin irritation and dryness caused by soap and water; and a
lack of easy access to sinks.
“A
thorough review of scientific evidence on hand hygiene has revealed that
alcohol-based hand rubs are easy to use and effective,” said Dr. John Boyce,
chair of the CDC’s Hand Hygiene Task Force, the committee responsible for
developing the guideline. “Several studies have demonstrated that when
adherence to hand hygiene practice improves, infection rates drop.”
Golodner
recommends that consumers play an active role in protecting themselves against
infection if they are hospitalized. She offers consumers the following advice:
Find
out if your healthcare professionals are aware of the new CDC guideline and
whether they are using alcohol-based hand rubs.
Ask
that your healthcare provider properly clean his or her hands before
examining or treating you.
Make sure that visitors clean their hands before coming into your room. Discourage people from visiting who may be sick and contagious.
Find an advocate in a family member or friend who can provide an extra pair of eyes to make sure proper hand hygiene procedures are followed.
The
National Consumers League continues its strong commitment to educating the
public about proper hand hygiene. “It’s time to get back to hand hygiene
basics to prevent disease, whether it’s by using an instant hand sanitizer or
washing your hands with soap and water,” said Golodner. “All of us need to
be more aware if how easy it can be to reduce the spread of infection.” For a
copy of NCL’s brochure, Your
Health is in Your (Clean) Hands, send a self-addressed, stamped business
envelope to NCL, 1701 K Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20006, or visit www.nclnet.org.
The
National Consumers League, founded in
1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to identify,
protect, represent, and advance the economic and social interests of consumers
and workers. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more
information, visit www.nclnet.org.
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