Hand washing

BMJ 1999;319:518 ( 21 August )

Letters

Hand washing

Why I don't wash my hands between each patient contact

Healthcare workers washed their hands on only a third of occasions

Handwashing facilities are inadequate

Alcohol hand rubs are better than soap and water

Hand washing is more common among healthcare workers than the public

Dermatitis associated with frequent hand washing should have been mentioned

Stethoscopes and white coats are sources of nosocomial infection

Muslim teaching gives rules for when hands must be washed

Why I don't wash my hands between each patient contact

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ The editorial on hand washing calls for all hospital staff to start regularly washing their hands between each patientcontact.¹ If, as the authors claim, there is such compellingevidence for the need to wash hands between each patient contactthen why do I and the vast majority of my colleagues not doit?

Firstly, I have never seen any convincing evidence that hand washing between each patient contact reduces infection rates.The Handwashing Liaison Group assumes that we all know that handwashing is beneficial and therefore fails to put forward any evidencefor it. It seems self evident that hand washing should be beneficialbefore and after a person has performed any procedures, examinedwounds, or dealt with specifically high risk patients, but I havenever seen any evidence for it in other situations. I shake handswith patients when I see them in hospital. Should . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Hand washing: Handwashing Liaison Group
BMJ 1999 318: 686. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Michiels, B., Avonts, D., van Royen, P., Denekens, J. (2000). GPs can improve their hand washing habits. BMJ 320: 869-869 [Full text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Handwashing: Gerard D Corcoran
bmj.com, 27 Aug 1999 [Full text]
Handwashing: Geoff Ridgway
bmj.com, 27 Aug 1999 [Full text]
Assumption was unjustified: Tony Fitchett
bmj.com, 3 Sep 1999 [Full text]
Ritual Handwashing: Oliver Dearlove, et al.
bmj.com, 15 Sep 1999 [Full text]
Efforts at improving handwashing compliance should be focussed on consultants, the worst culprits.: S Araf, et al.
bmj.com, 12 Oct 1999 [Full text]
Forced Use of Hand Cleaners: Mark B Wood
bmj.com, 21 Feb 2007 [Full text]
Using gloves.: April T Smith
bmj.com, 17 Mar 2008 [Full text]
Re: Using gloves.: Phillip J Colquitt
bmj.com, 20 Mar 2008 [Full text]