Corygiene Watch Newsletter 5th Edition Special Edition
1. CORMART NIGERIA LIMITED
CORMART
Plot 14, Chivita Avenue, Ajao Estate, Lagos
www.cormart-nigeria.com +234 1 7616605
Corygiene Watch N E W S L E T T E R
V O L U M E 5 , S P E C I A L E D I T I O N D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2
In this edition
Global Handwashing
Day Celebration
Nosocomial Infection
and other parts of the body.
Many types are difficult to
attack with antibiotics, and
Dear readers,
antibiotic resistance is
Welcome to the fifth edi- spreading to Gram-negative
tion of Corygiene Watch. bacteria that can infect peo-
ple outside the hospital.
In this special edition we
have focused primarily on Epidemiology
Cormart’s contribution to
the Global Handwashing
Nosocomial infections are
Day Celebration. commonly transmitted
when hospital officials be-
We also featured an arti- come complacent and per-
cle, on the impact of sonnel do not practice cor-
healthcare associated
rect hygiene regularly.
infection, its prevention
and control. Also, increased use of out-
patient treatment means that
people who are hospitalized
are more ill and have more
Isaac Martins
isaac425@gmail.com
Nosocomial infections are infections that are a weakened immune systems
result of treatment in a hospital or a healthcare than may have been true in the past. Moreover,
service unit. Infections are considered nosoco- some medical procedures bypass the body's natural
mial if they first appear 48 hours or more after protective barriers. Since medical staff moves from
hospital admission or within 30 days after dis- patient to patient, the staff themselves serves as a
charge. Nosocomial comes from the word means for spreading pathogens. Essentially, the staff
nosokomeio meaning hospital. This type of in- acts as vectors.
fection is also known as a hospital-acquired
infection (or, in generic terms, healthcare- Categories and treatment
associated infection). Besides harming patients One-third of nosocomial infections are considered
nosocomial infection can affect nurses, physi- preventable. The CDC estimates 2 million people in
cians, custodians, aides, visitors, salespeople, the United States are infected annually by hospital-
delivery personnel and anyone who has contact acquired infections, resulting in 20,000 deaths. The
with the hospital. most common nosocomial infections are of the uri-
nary tract, surgical site and various pneumonias.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease
Contributors: Control and Prevention estimate that roughly 1.7 Transmission
Oluwabunmi Ifejola million hospital-associated infections, from all The drug-resistant Gram-negative germs for the
E.P.I Afeonkai most part threaten only hospitalized patients whose
types of microorganisms, including bacteria,
combined, cause or contribute to 99,000 deaths immune systems are weak. The germs can survive
each year. In Europe, where hospital surveys for a long time on surfaces in the hospital and enter
have been conducted, the category of Gram- the body through wounds, catheters, and ventilators.
negative infections are estimated to account for
two-thirds of the 25,000 deaths each year. Noso-
comial infections can cause severe pneumonia
and infections of the urinary tract, bloodstream
CORYGIENE WATCH
2. PAGE 2
Nosocomial Infection cont…..
Risk factors Hand washing and gloving
Factors predisposing a patient to infection can broadly be di- Hand washing frequently is called the single most important
vided into three areas: measure to reduce the risks of transmitting skin microorgan-
People in hospitals are usually already in a poor state of isms from one person to another or from one site to another on
health, impairing their defense against bacteria – ad- the same patient. Washing hands as promptly and thoroughly
vanced age or premature birth along with immunodefi- as possible between patient contacts and after contact with
ciency (due to drugs, illness, or irradiation) present a gen- blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, and equipment or
eral risk, while other diseases can present specific risks - articles contaminated by them is an important component of
for instance, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can infection control and isolation precautions.
increase chances of respiratory tract infection.
Invasive devices, for instance intubation tubes, catheters, Although hand washing may seem like a simple process, it is
surgical drains, and tracheostomy tubes all bypass the often performed incorrectly. Healthcare settings must continu-
body‟s natural lines of defence against pathogens and ously remind practitioners and visitors on the proper procedure
provide an easy route for infection. Patients already colo- in washing their hands to comply with responsible hand wash-
nised on admission are instantly put at greater risk when ing.
they undergo an invasive procedure
A patient‟s treatment itself can leave them vulnerable to All visitors must follow the same procedures as hospital staff to
infection – immunosuppression and antacid treatment adequately control the spread of infections. Moreover, mul-
undermine the body‟s defences, while antimicrobial ther- tidrug-resistant infections can leave the hospital and become
apy (removing competitive flora and only leaving resis- part of the community flora if steps are not taken to stop this
tant organisms) and recurrent blood transfusions have transmission.
also been identified as risk factors.
In addition to hand washing, gloves play an important role in
Prevention reducing the risks of transmission of microorganisms. Gloves
Hospitals have sanitation protocols regarding uniforms, equip- are worn for three important reasons in hospitals. First, gloves
ment sterilization, washing, sanitizing, disinfecting and other are worn to provide a protective barrier and to prevent gross
preventative measures. Thorough hand washing and/or use of contamination of the hands when touching blood, body fluids,
alcohol rubs by all medical personnel before and after each secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, and nonintact skin.
patient contact is one of the most effective ways to combat
nosocomial infections. More careful use of antimicrobial Wearing gloves does not replace the need for hand washing,
agents, such as antibiotics, is also considered vital. because gloves may have small, non-apparent defects or may
be torn during use, and hands can become contaminated during
Despite sanitation protocol, patients cannot be entirely iso- removal of gloves. Failure to change gloves between patient
lated from infectious agents. Furthermore, patients are often contacts is an infection control hazard.
prescribed antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs to help
treat illness; this may increase the selection pressure for the Surface sanitation
e m e r - Sanitizing surfaces is an often overlooked, yet crucial compo-
gence of nent of breaking the cycle of infection in health care environ-
r esista nt ments. Modern sanitizing methods such as NAV-CO2 have
strains. been effective against gastroenteritis, MRSA, and influenza.
Use of hydrogen peroxide vapor has been clinically proven to
Isolation reduce infection rates and risk of acquisition. Hydrogen perox-
Isolation ide is effective against endospore-forming bacteria, such as
precau- Clostridium difficile, where alcohol has been shown to be inef-
tions are fective. A Bio-Intervention process is effective for hard surface
designed disinfection, providing a 6-log kill (99.9999%)for many organ-
to prevent isms including MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
transmis- Staphylococcus aureus, Rhinovirus, Salmonella enterica,
sion of H1N1, HIV-1 and Hepatitis A. The unique kill mechanism is
microor- new to the market and will be an effective method against mu-
ganisms tation and resistance of organizations.
by com-
mon routes in hospitals. Because agent and host factors are Aprons
more difficult to control, interruption of transfer of microor- Wearing an apron during patient care reduces the risk of infec-
ganisms is directed primarily at transmission. tion. The apron should either be disposable or be used only
when caring for a specific patient.
CORYGIENE WATCH
3. PAGE 3
Global Handwashing Day Celebration Photo Gallery
Global Hand Washing day, which is observed
on October 15 of every year, when millions of
people around the world wash their hands
with soap and clean water, is one of such plat-
forms Renew Hand wash has leveraged on to
help raise hygiene-conscious generation.
In 2007, the Public Private Partnership for Hand washing with
Soap (PPPHW) established Global Hand washing Day as a
stimulating way to promote global and local vision of hand
washing with soap. Renew Handwash, one of the front liners
in the soap market in conjunction with UNICEF and Lagos
State ministry of water and rural development marked the
event in five riverine schools in Badagry area of Lagos state
where school children, teachers and community leaders were
put through the six steps of effective handwashing techniques.
Engineer Anibire who represented the honorable commis-
sioner for rural development disclosed that over 1000 public
and private schools had been touched in the last three years
and that the impact of the campaign has been positive because
it has drastically reduced germ-related ailment from feed
backs gotten from schools. Pictures Clockwise: Chris Olusesi of cormart demonstrating handwash - Engr Anibire
representing the commissioner for Rural Development, washing her hands - school
children waiting to wash their hands - Pupils washing their hands
Speaking on the 2012 campaign, Chris Olusesi of Cormart
said the involvement of Renew handwash underlined the com-
mitment of the company to create hygiene conscious society. Hand washing Challenges
Why Celebrate Hand washing? Difficult to change behavior on a large scale
6.9 million Children under 5 die each year. Two of the top
three causes are pneumonia and diarrhea. Each critical time for hand washing has different target
Hand washing with soap can cut pneumonia by up to 45% and users, motivators, prompts, and hardware needs
diarrhea rates by up to 50%.
What does it take to change hand washing social norms?
Hand washing is an accessible, cost-effective method for pre-
venting diarrheal and other diseases.
A recent study also shows that intensive hand washing promo-
tion is positively associated with child growth and develop-
ment.
JOKE
A man was upset because he had lost his favorite hat. Instead of buying a new one, he decided that he would go to church that
Sunday to steal one from the vestibule. Unfortunately, the usher saw the man coming in and before he could go into the vesti-
bule, the usher led him to a pew, where the preacher was just beginning a sermon on the Ten Commandments. After church, the
man went up to the preacher and shook his hand and said: „I want to thank you for saving my soul today. I came to church to
steal a hat, but after hearing your sermon on the Ten Commandments, I changed my mind.‟ „Why, that‟s wonderful,‟ the
preacher said: „so the commandment „Thou shalt not steal” changed your mind, did it?” ” No, it wasn‟t that commandment,” the
man said: “It was the one about adultery. It reminded me where I left my hat!”
CORYGIENE WATCH