Handwashing techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Handwashing techniques - Essay Example coli and samples taken of the bacteria count on their fingers. Both hands were involved in the experiment. Next, half the participants (three in number) were asked to disinfect their hands using only soap and water while the other half were asked to do so with the NHS standard handwash – alcohol and chlorhexidine in 1:10 dilution. Samples were taken of the fingers after disinfecting. Samples were sustained for 24 hours after which the bacteria counts were taken. It was found that for all participants, both for normal and NHS standard handwash, there was reduction in the bacteria counts post-disinfect over pre-disinfect but the normal handwash – only soap and water – porved more efficacious than the NHS standard one. It is construed that since there is no established literature on the matter there is need to further investigate if the NHS recommended handwashing technique is superior to normal ones. As this report shows, it does seem like the normal handwashing te chniques proves superior to the NHS standard. This paper investigates the efficiencies of normal handwashing techniques against that recommended by the National Health Service (NHS) UK. It should be known that handwashing is a very essential part of not only the healthcare profession but also all other professionals that somehow deal with toxic and virulent substances and organisms whenever there is possibility of such malignant materials coming into contact with the hands. Since it is the hands that humans primarily use to connect with outside materials it is these appendages that have to be thoroughly cleansed to negate the possibility of the toxicity or virulence being transmitted to other human individuals who may later come into contact with the concerned individual. This is not only for the safety of the human community within which the individual coming into initial contact with such toxicity or virulence but also of the