The nurse calls my name and I get up out of my chair without letting my hands touch the arm rests. The nurse leads me to exam room number one. I think a fresh bit of paper has been rolled over the examination bed after the last patient left. The paper doesn’t look ripped or creased; I assume it’s clean. I hop up onto the bed, careful not to touch anything left uncovered by the paper, and wait for the doctor. Since entering the walk-in clinic I’ve managed to avoid touching anything with a bare hand: I scooted inside the door behind an older gentleman, and I refrained from picking up a magazine, which, by the way, I consider to be the worst contamination culprit at doctor’s offices, walk-in clinics and hospitals. For the record, I am not a germaphobe. What I am is conscious of the amount of germs that exist in a walk-in clinic. I take care to avoid coming in contact with other people’s germs. I’m already at the clinic because of a germ, so I’m extra careful to protect myself from more…or so I thought.
Turns out one of the biggest germ offenders in the clinic could be the person I’m here to see: the doctor. Doctors unwittingly transmit bacteria and disease from one patient to the next on their hands. The lack of hand washing among doctors contributes to an increase in the spread of bacteria in medical facilities. According to Health Canada, these infections kill some 8,000 to 12,000 patients across the country every year, and cost the health care system millions of dollars. Hands spread an estimated 80 percent of common infectious diseases such as the common cold and flu, but studies show less than half of doctors and nurses wash their hands between patients.
Really? Not all doctors wash their hands after touching an ill and presumably infectious patient? Shouldn’t they know better? I try so hard to avoid other people’s germs and the germiest part of the clinic had his hands all over my swollen nymphs nodes. According to a recent article in the Hamilton Spectator, compliance to hand washing practices among doctors was 28% at ten Ontario hospitals. That’s quite a low percentage since hand washing is one of the easiest and least expensive methods in preventing the spread of pathogens.
There are several types of bacteria that could be transferred from one patient to the next. One of the common infections is Clostridium difficile, or C difficile. This infection is referred to as a superbug because of its resistance to treatment by many antibiotics as well as their quick spread in hospitals. E. coli and salmonella are two infections that could also be present on hands. They are not as worrisome as the rapid spread of superbugs, but are serious nonetheless. They cause not only food poisoning, but serious bloodstream infections that are difficult to treat because of antibiotic resistance.
Christine Wilkinson, a Quinte Health Care professional explains “Despite the obvious link between hand hygiene practices and hospital acquired infections, research shows poor hand washing compliance, with between 30 per cent and 60 per cent of hospital personnel following procedures properly.”
Ms. Wilkinson recommends that medical facilities follow the Federal Government’s Infection Control Guidelines regarding hand washing, cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. A proactive and defensive approach is recommended for patients: Minimize your stay in a medical facility, ensure anyone who makes direct contact with you has washed their hands or wears new gloves; be aware of other items, not just hands, that could contain bacteria such as stethoscopes, nurse call bells, bed rails, doctors’ ties, curtains, sinks, and toilets. These items have all been shown to potentially carry these superbugs. You must be aware of these potential objects for the transmission of infectious diseases.
How To Wash Your Hands
These recommendations are not meant to scare the public away from their regularly scheduled visits to their family doctor, to an unexpected visit to a walk-in clinic, or from entering hospitals. They are meant to educate the public about the potential risks of visiting a medical facility and how best to protect oneself.
According to Ms. Wilkinson efforts are being made to decrease the amount of infections in health care facilities. “Accreditation Canada recently promoted the adoption of formal auditing processes for hand hygiene in all Canadian hospitals.” Hospitals are also hiring Infection Control Professionals who have specific training in infection prevention and control. “They work with the entire corporation to prevent health care acquired infections by educating staff, planning and implementing infection control practices and evaluating existing health care practices,” says Wilkinson.
At my next visit to the walk-in clinic I’m still cautious of what I touch and of who touches me. However, I’m less panicked and more informed of what I should be aware of. The doctor enters the room; I tense up and wonder if he’s washed his hands. Before I could ask him if he has, he says “Hello,” turns to the sink and procedes to scrub his hands with lots of soap. I guess he heard about the recent study too.
What do you think about the link between hand washing and the spread of disease-causing bacteria? Should we really be concerned? Are we too paranoid about germs?
Filed under: Features
