WHAT DOES HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAVE TO DO WITH HAND WASHING Sylvia Morris 5/6/12

Have a close look at your hands

What do you see? Wrinkles Lines Skin marks Dry skin A healed scar

SO WHY IS HAND WASHING SO IMPORTANT?

When you go to the toilet, blow your nose, cover your mouth when you cough, cook food, clean a dirty floor you pick up bugs on your hands. LIKE THIS →

When you care for a sick, young or old person, help keep them clean, touch their belongings you can pick up their bugs and then transfer them to the next person you touch.

If you are sick and don’t wash your hands you can pass on your bugs on other people.

Transient Bugs Bugs picked up from things you touch are called “transient” bugs. Transient means-moving from one place to another So “transient bugs don’t belong on your hands.

Resident Bugs Many bugs live on your hands. They don’t cause any harm. But if you have a cut or graze and it is not cleaned well those same bugs can get in and cause an infection. If you touch someone else’s cut or graze your bugs can also be passed on to them and cause an infection. “Resident” bugs live on your hands “Resident” means – it lives there.

Have another look at your hands. Can you see any bugs?

Bugs Bugs are too small to see just with your eyes. More than a thousand bugs would fit on the head of a small pin. So you can’t see them even with a magnifying lens, so you have to remember they are there and wash your hands often.

SO HOW DO YOU WASH YOUR HANDS?

Routine wash- after most activities Soap and water for 15 seconds. Gets rid of most “transient” and some “resident” bugs. To help you stick to it you sing: Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear ………. Happy Birthday to you

Aseptic Hand wash For extra care- antiseptic soap and water for 1 minute. The soap (called antiseptic) has a chemical in it that helps kill the “transient” and “resident” bugs. Try singing the happy birthday tune to yourself 4 times.

Alcoholic hand rub Special situations -alcohol hand rub. The rub doesn’t clean hands but nearly all the “transient” and “resident” bugs will be killed for a short time. Cant be used all the time as it builds up on the skin Can be drying

Why do infections still spread? People don’t wash their hands enough. People don’t wash their hands properly. This is the main reason infections still spread in the community and in hospitals.

Class activity Put on a small amount of glogerm cream on hands (about cents size) Rub all over your hands Have a look under the UV lamp Wash your hands with: Water alone Soap and Water for 5 second Soap and Water for 15 seconds Soap and water for 1 minute

Handwashing Technique Areas most frequently missed during hand washing