Does Gel Hand Sanitizer Really Work?

Steeve & Mallison (1975) stated hand hygiene has often been singled out as the most important procedure in preventing infection. Guidelines from national and international infection prevention and control organizations acknowledged that hand washing is the single most important procedure for preventing infections (Ganner and Favero,1985).

Bacterial and fungi infections are easy to cure with the use of antibiotics, where as viruses can be hard to cure or vaccinate against, such as the common cold. Bacteria can be found everywhere and anywhere Soil, Water, Plants, Animals, material and even deep in the earth's crust. Bacteria feed themselves by making there food with the use of sunlight and water. We would not be able to live without Bacteria. The human body consists of lots of friendly bacteria which also protect us from dangerous ones by occupying places in the body. Some of the most deadly diseases and devastating epidemics in human history have

Dirty hands is the common source of spreading infection. It is very important to keep hands clean to avoid getting infected and spreading infection in the community. It is important to wash hands to keep hands clean. There are two ways to keep hand clean, one way is wash hands with soap and warm water while rubbing hands together for minimum 15 to 30 seconds. Indication of washing hands with soap and water is when hands are visibly dirty, before and after eating, feeding, using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing, after using gloves, taking care of patients. There is also second way to clean hands, but it is advisable to wash hands with soap and water all the time, but it can ignore when soap and water is not available so it is okay to use hand gel or foam in the form of sanitizer. This helps to clean hands or kill germs when hands are not visibly dirty.

Bacteria can exist almost everywhere, some are harmless, and some are harmful. There are thousands of different types of bacteria and they fall

Washing your hands before and after doing individual jobs, using the correct PPE for the task you are carrying out, Gloves, Aprons etc. This can stop the spread of fluids and germs which can be carried on clothes. Simply covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing then washing your hands will stop the spread of possible infection. Many surfaces can hold germs and bacteria, so even after touching any surfaces hands should be washed or gloves worn where ever possible.

“Ajax Spray ‘n’ Wipe” specifically states that it kills E. coli. This is because of the lactic acid in the spray, which is used as a natural antibacterial agent.” ("Colgate-Palmolive | Product Ingredients"). Lactic acid kills unwanted bacteria especially in food which is where E. coli is often found and transmitted, of which meat is the most common cause. Vinegar was chosen as a substance because “it can be used as a bleach alternative” (“Disinfectants: A Guide to Killing Germs the Right Way”) and bleach kills E. coli. It is also used as an everyday cleaning product. The last substance chosen was salty water because it is thought that salt kills bacteria. Much of the world’s population has access to salt and if the experiment proves that salt kills E. coli it would be a helpful factor for further treatment of the

Bacteria is a single celled organism, bacteria have evolved to thrive in almost any environment and can be found in almost any substance/surface and also in the human body, only 1% of bacteria is actually harmful.

Bacteria - are micro-organisms that consist of only one cell. Bacteria multiply by splitting themselves in two, which is called a binary fission. Because of this they can increase in number rapidly. The majority are harmless, but some can be pathogenic which results in bacterial infection occuring. Bacterial infections can be treated by using antibiotics. Bacteria can evolve a resistance to antibiotic e.g. MRSA. Some diseases caused by bacteria include tuberculosis, pneumonia, salmonella, tetanus and syphilis.

When determining which bacteria I wanted to use for this experiment I had to decide on E.coli bacteria which is gram negative and staphylococcus a gram positive bacterium. These were chosen because they are safe enough to grow in a college laboratory and were supplied by the technician. Gram negative bacteria has an outer membrane making it more resistant to antiseptics and antibiotics, it also makes it more fatal to the human host it is inhabiting. Whereas gram

To help the prevention of infection spreading is by knowing the method of washing your hand because we carry most bacteria sue to the open air that we come in contact with. For example we use are hands to shake hands with someone holding or touching objects. When you are performing any form of hand hygiene you will need to make sure that you have washed your hand with anti-bacterial liquid soap; this is to help prevent any bacteria which we already have on our hands. In all health and social care settings an automatic liquid dispenser should be placed so that when washing hands any individual doesn’t touch or need to even sneeze any part of the liquid

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of hand hygiene and how it decreases the transmission of infection throughout (Bloomfield, Aiello, Cookson, O'Boyle, & Larson, 2007). Handwashing can include alcohol based hygiene items and handwashing with soap and water. This study main focus was on North American and Europe. There is plenty of supporting rationale to backup why this study was conducted. Some of the few things this study wanted to achieve are hand hygiene is key to staying healthy and reducing infection. This needs to be followed both in the workplace and around the community to abstain from infections. Handwashing can be achieved by soap and water or hand sanitizers that removes or eliminates many microorganisms on the surface of the hand (de Oliveira Dourado, da Costa Barros, Diogo de Vasconcelos, & da Silva Santos, 2017). This can impact many individuals by using this technique to keep foreign germs off of the hands. The importance of washing hands

One of the commonest modes of transmission for infection is our hands. As care assistants, our hands come into contact with many possible infectious agents such as body excretions and secretions for example blood, urine, faeces, vomit and sputum. If good hand hygiene isn’t practiced, micro-organisms will be passed from one individual to another. General cleanliness, including general, environmental, equipment and materials reduce the sources of infection within the care home.

Healthcare associated infections have an impact on patients - how? Can be prevented greatly with compliance to hand hygiene protocols (REF).

Naturally, this is something that is difficult to do, but you should take steps to avoid germs. Start by washing your hands regularly throughout the day. Keep hand sanitizer with you at all times and avoid touching your face. You should also disinfect areas on your desk, like your keyboard or your phone. These are breeding grounds for germs.

A defensive strategy is important when trying to avoid infecting oneself with an illness lying in wait (Wisegeek.com, 2011). According to Mayo Clinic (2009), frequent handwashing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness. Although it is impossible to keep hands germ-free, washing hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.