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Handwashing Brochure |
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Brochures |
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Why are clean hands important?
Good hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of infection.
At Cooley Dickinson Hospital, we want to keep you healthy by preventing
the spread of infection.
Good handwashing is our first line of defense.
Sometimes we all need a reminder - we ask you to become a partner
with us in your care. If you have a question as to whether your caregiver
or visitor has washed his or her hands, you should ask. Everyone who
enters your room - your nurse, doctor, therapist, dietitian, family members,
visitors, social workers or chaplains - should wash their hands.
There are a number of places for people to wash their hands:
- Soap is in every bathroom. Wet your hands under warm running
water. Rub your hands together with soap and work up a good lather.
Do this for 20 seconds. Rinse your hands under the running water.
Make sure you get all of the soap off. Pat hands dry with paper towels.
- A bottle of antimicrobial solution is at the door in every patient room.
Anyone can use it. Squirt, rub hands together and let dry.
- Towelettes are on your meal trays to clean your hands before eating.
If you have any questions ask your nurse.
What does antibiotic resistance mean?
Infections that are resistant (hard to kill) are becoming more and more
common. Two bacteria that we see the most are MRSA (Methicillin-
Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin Resistant
Enterococcus).
To keep these germs from spreading to other people we need to be
very careful, and take the following steps.
The patient is placed in a private room, or in a room with one or more
patients who also have VRE or MRSA.
The patient must stay in the room unless he or she needs a special
medical test or there is an emergency.
Health care workers must put on gloves sometimes gowns before entering
the patient’s room, then remove their gloves and gowns before leaving
the room. They must immediately wash their hands.
Visitors also may be asked to put on gloves and gowns, especially if
they are helping to take care of, and are likely to touch the patient.
Visitors should always wash their hands before leaving the room to make
sure they do not take the MRSA or VRE germ out of the room with them.
More information about germs
Visitors, please help us prevent the spread of infection to our patients
by following these simple rules:
- Please stay home when you are sick
- Always wash your hands before you enter a patients room
- Always wash your hands before you leave
Other things to think about
- When used correctly, antibiotics are useful and important medicines.
- Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses.
- You do not need antibiotics to fight a cold or the flu.
- Taking antibiotics when you DO NOT need them can cause antibiotics
not to work when you DO need them.
- To avoid the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you avoid
antibiotics you don’t need.
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