Hand washing: The beginning of infection control Over 16 years ago, Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician, first demonstrated that hand hygiene can prevent the spread of disease. Hand hygiene, as a practice, includes performing hand washing using antiseptic hand wash or alcohol-based hand rub and/or surgical hand hygiene/ antisepsis. Dr. Semmelweis worked in a hospital in Vienna whose maternity patients were dying at such an alarming rate of puerperal fever (or childbed fever) that they begged to be sent home. Most of those dying had been treated by student physicians who worked on corpses during an anatomy class before beginning their rounds in the maternity ward. Hand washing was an unrecognized hygienic practice at the time. Because the students did not wash their hands effectively between touching the dead and the living, pathogenic bacteria (Sommelweis called them “cadaverous particles” or little pieces of the corpse) from the dead bodies were regularly transmitted to the mothers via the students’ hands. The result was a death rate five times higher for mothers who delivered in the clinic attended by the students than for mothers who delivered at another clinic. In an experiment considered quaint at best by his colleagues, Dr. Semmelweis insisted that his students wash their hands before treating the mothers – and deaths on the maternity ward fell fivefold. Unquestioned today as the most important tool in the health care worker’s arsenal for preventing infection , hand washing was not readily accepted in Dr. Semmelweis’s era. His pleas to make hand washing a routine practice throughout the hospital were largely met with derision. Sterilization and disinfection “Sterile” means free from all germs; sterilization is the most effective level of decontamination, involving the removal of all bacterial life from a surface . This is the level of decontamination required for tools and surfaces in hospital surgeries. For sterilization, hospitals use steam autoclaves to heat instruments to a very high temperature. Today, many salons are investing in autoclaves to reassure clients that their safety is the number one priority. “Sterile” means free from all germs; sterilization is the most effective level of decontamination, involving the removal of all bacterial life from a surface. “Disinfection” is the process of killing specific microorganisms, bacteria, or germs using physical or chemical processes. Disinfectants are chemical agents that destroy organisms on contaminated instruments or surfaces. They can be dangerous and must be used with caution. Disinfectants are used to destroy bacteria on equipment and implements, but they should not be used on the skin. In a salon atmosphere, disinfectants must be able to kill viruses, fungus, and dangerous bacteria. Disinfectants Controlling bacteria in a salon requires effort, vigilance, and good sense. In choosing a disinfectant, always look for the EPA registration number (awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency) to ensure you are using an approved disinfectant. This number indicates a level of safety for specific kinds of disinfection. To be registered by the EPA, disinfection must be effective in killing bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, and pseudomonas. Cosmetology salons must use not only EPA-approved
Another 50 years would pass before the importance of hand washing as a preventive measure would be widely accepted by the medical profession. Sanitation is now a standard and thousands of lives have been saved because of Dr. Semmelweis’s discovery. Cleaning agents for the hands Cleaning agents assist in the process of removing substances from surfaces. Soaps and detergents are two common cleaning agents that are often confused for one another, but are composed of very different ingredients, with different cleaning properties. Soaps are the product of a chemical reaction. They can be formed by vegetable oil reacting with lye or chemicals. These chemicals, such as glycerin, add a desirable smell or quality to the soap and make it milder. While soap does not kill microorganisms, soap and water will help remove them from surfaces. On the other hand, detergents are manufactured for the express purpose of cleaning specific substances off specific items and are created using chemicals that can be very harsh to skin. In contrast to detergents that do not leave a residue or require rinsing, soaps leave a coating or residue on the body, typically one designed to make skin smoother or more attractive. Soaps also remove less fat from the skin than detergents. Removing fat from the skin has a drying quality and may strip the skin, therefore the use of detergents can dry skin out. Be sure to use the appropriate cleaning agent for the job. Different cleaning and disinfecting agents have many different properties. Always read the ingredients, instructions, and recommendations for use on the item’s label. disinfectants, but also those with an EPA rating of hospital- level (tuberculocidal) quality. These disinfectants are especially effective for salon use and are capable of killing viruses, dangerous bacterium, and fungi. Disinfectants can be hazardous if prepared incorrectly . Consult the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for information on preparing and using the solution. Always check the listing of chemicals in the disinfectant and if/ how they can pose safety hazards. Be certain to follow manufacturers’ instructions and all written directions for the preparation and use of a specific disinfectant. Remember to follow all directions when using this type of disinfectant or any other disinfectant. To ensure safety, use an appropriate ratio of concentration in the solution, and clean only approved items according to label instructions. Wear gloves and safety glasses whenever mixing and using solutions. Do not confuse disinfectants, which destroy harmful microorganisms, with antiseptics: products designed to slow the growth of microorganisms. Antiseptics do not kill microorganisms and should not be confused with disinfectants or used for salon disinfection. Household disinfectants commonly used to clean offices and homes may be used to clean floors, doorknobs, and walls, etc., as directed on the container label, but should not be used in place of a hospital-grade salon disinfectant, which is required to sterilize instruments. Bleach can be used as an effective disinfectant, but it is not a cleaning agent and should only be applied to clean surfaces. Bleach must be used with caution because it can release toxic fumes when mixed with certain substances. Bleach is far too harsh for day-to-day disinfection and will damage instruments. It may be used for washing towels and other salon laundry.
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Book Code: CFL1025
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