Soap and water still a good way to clean hands
New products like antibacterial soap and hand sanitizers clamor for attention, but plain old soap and water is still a good way to clean hands, according to the Harvard Health Letter.
In studies reported in the January 2007 issue, washing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds reduces bacterial counts by about 90%. But the authors note that even people who are conscientious about washing their hands often make the mistake of not drying them properly — wet hands are more likely to spread germs than dry ones.
Today, almost half of the hand soaps on the market have an antibacterial additive, and debate continues as to whether use of antibacterial soaps is worsening the problem of antibiotic resistance. Even if antibiotic resistance weren't an issue, results from studies suggest that antibacterial soaps available to consumers don't add much to hand hygiene. The findings are a useful reminder that antibacterial soaps aren't the all-purpose germ fighters that many people think they are.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have the advantage of not requiring water or towels, but shouldn't be relied on as the only cleanser in a health care setting, the authors say. To be effective, the rubs need to come into contact with all surfaces of your hands. For that reason, the Letter report states, studies have shown that using small amounts is really no better than washing with plain soap and water.
Poll: Nurses take top spot for ethics, honesty
Americans continue to consider nurses the most honest and ethical of professionals, according to a 2006 Gallup poll. The annual poll on professional honesty and ethical standards has seen nurses take the No. 1 spot for eight consecutive years. Pharmacists ranked second in the poll, and physicians ranked fourth. In order, the professions ranked the top 10 in terms of honesty and ethics were nurses, pharmacists, veterinarians, physicians, dentists, engineers, college teachers, clergy, policemen, and psychiatrists. The lowest-rated professions tended to be those connected with sales or big business, along with lawyers, elected officeholders, and news reporters.
"It is humbling for nurses to again be rated so highly for honesty and ethical behavior," said Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. "I believe this is an example of the remarkable connection nurses have with the public whom they serve, and a validation to nurses for the values that underscore their practice."
Joint Commission changes name
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has launched a new brand and logo, and is now known simply and formally as The Joint Commission. In announcing its new identity, The Joint Commission says the new brand reflects the accreditation board's continuing efforts to improve the value of accreditation and its utility as a mechanism for improving the quality and safety of patient care. The "Jayco" extranet also has a new name — The Joint Commission Connect. For more information, visit the website at www.jointcommission.org.
Nanotechnology poses occ health challenges
Workers are 'canaries in a coal mine,' expert says
Workers are "canaries in the coal mine" when it comes to the potential health, safety, and environmental effects of nanoscale materials, which are considered by many in the occupational health field as a high priority for concern due to the lack of knowledge about the microscopic particles. This is the warning from Andrew Maynard, PhD, chief scientist of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (www.nanotechproject.org).
"The good news is that international concern over how to ensure safe nanotech workplaces has resulted in some progress," Maynard says. "The bad news is that critical questions about worker safety — and about broader environmental, human health, and safety issues — remain unanswered."
The work of Maynard and colleagues in nanotechnology research appear in a Journal of Nanoparticle Research special issue, published in January 2007 as a special journal issue devoted to nanoparticles and occupational health. (Available at www.springerlink.com/content/p13817kll818.)
Areas of specific progress that Maynard and his coauthors highlight in their article include new instrumentation capable of better measurement of airborne nanostructured particles, innovative ways of controlling exposure to airborne nanoparticles, and the effectiveness of filters in removing nanometer-diameter particles from the air.
Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate, and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. In less than a decade, nanotechnology is predicted to result in $2.6 trillion in manufactured goods annually. Already, there are almost 400 manufacturer-identified nanotechnology-based consumer products on the market, including computer chips, automobile parts, clothing, cosmetics, and dietary supplements. (A list is available at www.nanotechproject.org/consumerproducts.) The number of jobs involved in making nano-enabled products will rise from about 50,000 today to more than 10 million in 2014, nanotechnology research indicates.
"Greater resources and attention are needed now on nanotechnology occupational health and safety research in order to ensure safe nano-workplaces today and in the future," Maynard says.
New products like antibacterial soap and hand sanitizers clamor for attention, but plain old soap and water is still a good way to clean hands.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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