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. 2002 Aug 17;325(7360):396.

Handwashing

Mirza Muminovic 1
PMCID: PMC1123911

Two, Four, Eight Little Germs. There are many more of these invisible inhabitants on our hands. Some will sail away with the next handwashing, some new ones will settle down afterwards. And so it continues. One of this week's papers suggests that handrubbing with an alcohol based solution is significantly more efficient in reducing hand contamination than handwashing with antiseptic soap (p 362). But what does the internet say about handwashing?

Infection Prevention Online Course at www.engenderhealth.org/ip/ has excellent sections on internationally accepted practices for infection prevention. A module at www.engenderhealth.org/ip/handwash provides an overview of handwashing and explains why good practices are an essential part of infection prevention. In only eight steps, this short but concise presentation summarises good handwashing behaviour. The site is available in English and Spanish and is easy to navigate. It includes useful information, a knowledge test, an overview of three kinds of handwashing used in the clinical setting, four case studies, and a recipe for making an alcohol handrub solution.

Another site with the goal of clean hands is Handwashing for Life (www.handwashingforlife.com). Its vision is to reduce the risks, pain, and suffering of food borne illness by providing self assessment tools, resources, and a learning centre. Henry the Hand (www.henrythehand.com), which is available in English, French, and Spanish, reminds the kids that Mom was right—wash your hands! Posters, comics, games, and other useful child friendly tools promote clean hands from an early age. There is even a link to the “Bad Bug Book” on the US Food and Drug Administration website, but this is obviously for adults (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/∼mow/intro.html).

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a guideline for handwashing and hospital environmental control at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/guide/handwash.htm. The Clean Hands Campaign from the American Society for Microbiology (www.washup.org) is designed to remind Americans who have forgotten Mom's advice about washing hands. The American Society for Microbiology is also behind a site that provides tests and a few experiments for kids (www.microbe.org/washup/Wash_Up.asp).

Finally, the story about Little Germs is at www.purell.com/media/pdf/hhhk_germ.pdf. Unfortunately, it's not only children who need to listen.


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