Skin care as a tool in the prevention of health care-associated infection.
Keeping skin healthy is particularly important for patients and all health-care personnel as any break in the skin can potentially harbour bacteria that may become a cross-infection risk to patients. When skin is damaged it is more difficult to remove microrganisms even when staff follow the recommended technique for hand washing (Royal College of Nursing, 2000). Broken skin on patients increases the risk of developing a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) as microorganisms can penetrate the surface of broken skin and cause anything from boils to bacteraemia. The aim of this article is to discuss skin as a barrier to infection, and examine ways to maintain the integrity of both staff and patients' skin. It will also look at the effect damaged skin can have on hand hygiene compliance and how it can increase the need for intervention in patients with broken areas of skin if these areas then become infected.
Bissett
Linda
L
SPQ Infection Control, Dip Advanced Food Hygiene, NHS Tayside, Ninewells Hospital. linda.bissett@nhs.net
D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus