Are you glove aware? RCN. Glove Awareness Week

Transcription

1 Are you glove aware? RCN Glove Awareness Week

2 Be glove aware Protecting your hands is crucial for your own protection and the protection of patients. It is important to decide when to use gloves and the type of glove to use. Inappropriate glove use (over or under use of gloves) can place staff or patients at risk of contact dermatitis, infection and missed opportunities for hand hygiene. It is crucial to carry out a risk assessment to decide whether, and which type of gloves to wear: task to be performed anticipated contact and compatibility with chemicals and cytotoxic drugs latex or other sensitivity glove size required your organisation s policies for creating a latex-free environment. Gloves are single use items they must be removed and changed between each patient or care task. 2

3 Gloves on? Gloves off? 1. When anticipating contact with blood or another body fluid, regardless of the existence of sterile conditions and including contact with non-intact skin and mucous membrane. 2. Contact with a patient (and his/her immediate surroundings) during contact precautions. 3. When anticipating contact with chemical hazards such as disinfectants, preserving agents or cytotoxic drugs. 4. Only when hands are thoroughly dry (hand washing or alcohol hand rub) to reduce risk of dermatitis Note: any cuts or abrasions present on hands should be covered (eg plaster) prior to donning gloves. 1. As soon as gloves are damaged (or non-integrity suspected). 2. When contact with blood/ body fluids, non-intact skin and mucous membrane has ended. 3. When a single aspect of patient care/treatment even on the same patient has ended. For example, gloves may be required to empty a urinary catheter before providing mouth care. 4. When there is an indication for hand hygiene. 5. When contact with chemicals has ended. (Adapted from WHO, 2009; Health Protection Scotland, 2016) 3

4 Be skin aware It is estimated that each year in the UK, 1,000 health care workers develop work-related contact dermatitis (HSE, 2018). Protecting the integrity of health care workers skin on their hands is critical. Damaged or non-intact skin places both the patient and the health worker at risk because it prevents effective hand hygiene. Prevention and management of occupational dermatitis Always follow good hand hygiene techniques. Remember wearing gloves is not an alternative to hand hygiene. Avoid direct contact between unprotected hands and hazardous substances and/or wet work* where this is sensible and practical. Protect the skin if you cannot avoid contact and regularly apply hand moisturisers. Check skin regularly for the first signs of itchy, dry or red skin and use hand moisturisers. * In the UK, wet work is defined as work that involves hands being wet for significant periods during the working day; as a guide more than two hours a day or about twenty hand washes a day (HSE, 2016) Fig 1: Dry, itchy, red skin - early warning signs of contact dermatitis 4

5 Top tips for hand hygiene Prevention and management of occupational dermatitis Gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene. Always wet hands thoroughly before applying soap. Wash hands with soap and water when visibly dirty or obviously soiled with blood or other body fluids. Wash hands with soap and water where alcohol hand rubs are known to be less effective such as when caring for patients with known or suspected Clostridium difficile or norovirus infections. Wash hands with soap and water if alcohol-based hand rub is not available. Hand wipes may be helpful in community settings. Use an alcohol-based hand rub as the preferred means of routine hand hygiene in all other clinical situations. (Adapted from WHO, 2009) References Health and Safety Executive (2018) Dermatitis in Health and Social Care accessed 29 March Health and Safety Executive (2016) Dermatitis. Available at accessed 29 March World Health Organization (2009) Guidelines on hand hygiene in health care, Geneva: WHO. Available at Health Protection Scotland (2016) Standard Infection Control Precautions Literature Review: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Gloves, Glasgow: HPS. 5

6 Find out more March 2018 Publication code