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NEWS: Nigel Hawkes Promoting hand washing, stroke prevention, and tobacco control are recognised at BMJ Group award ceremony BMJ 2009; 338: b1428 [Full text]

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Recognition of promotion of Handwashing

Dr .Edwin Dias   (4 April 2009)

Recognition of promotion of Handwashing 4 April 2009
Dr .Edwin Dias, Professor and Head of department 575006 Send response to journal: Re: Recognition of promotion of Handwashing	It has taken BMJ 10 YEARS to recognise handwashing promotion and motivation by which time my academic career has moved from assistant professor to professor and head of department of a teaching medical college.this rule of Parkinson,s law SIMPLE things are always debated for amny years but the buying of an jumbo jet aircraft is almost done within a few minutes. Hand washing, when done correctly, is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Good hand washing technique is easy to learn and can significantly reduce the spread of infectious diseases among both children. Diseases spread through fecal-oral transmission. Infections which may be transmitted through this route include salmonellosis, shigellosis, hepatitis A, giardiasis, enterovirus, amebiasis, and campylobacteriosis. Because these diseases are spread through the ingestion of even the tiniest particles of fecal material, hand washing after using the toilet cannot be over-emphasized. Diseases spread through indirect contact with respiratory secretions. Microorganisms which may be transmitted through this route include influenza, Streptococcus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the common cold. Because these diseases may be spread indirectly by hands contaminated by respiratory discharges of infected people, illness may be avoided by washing hands after coughing or sneezing and after shaking hands with an individual who has been coughing and sneezing. Diseases may also be spread when hands are contaminated with urine, saliva or other moist body substances. Microorganisms which may be transmitted by one or more of these body substances include cytomegalovirus, typhoid, staphylococcal organisms, and Epstein-barr virus. These germs may be transmitted from person to person or indirectly by contamination of food or inanimate objects such as toys. In the NICU a simple gesture of brushing the hair with the hands can transmit staphyloccus aureus. The great William Osler also promoted this concept in his time. In medical science it is imperative to take care of the small things in order to be cost effective in areas of health and other important domains of life. Methods to motivate handwashing in the NICU Edwin Dias (20 March 1999) Rapid Responses to: EDITORIALS: Handwashing Liaison Group Hand washing BMJ 1999; 318: 686 Competing interests: None declared