Areas in hospitals where it is forbidden to shake hands: this is what Mark Sklansky of the University of California proposes in an editorial published by Jama magazine with the aim of limiting the spread of infections.
Replacing the classic handshake, perhaps with a bow, may seem a bizarre idea, yet many studies have already proven that hands are an ideal vehicle for the transmission of various germs, including Clostridium difficile, one of the most feared in hospitals .
After all, as you observe Joseph Hippolytus, Scientific Director of the "Lazzaro Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, "failure to wash hands is the first risk factor for the transmission of infections in hospitals, so much so that a few days ago the World Health Organization promoted a dedicated world day. And the problem does not only concern the staff but also the people who come into contact with patients, or with furnishings or other, through which hospital germs can be transmitted ».
Recalling that the possibility of causing infections through a handshake, on which perhaps a person has sneezed, does not only concern hospital environments, Professor Ippolito believes that it is important to consider any proposal that may be useful. In fact, awareness of the problem of infections appears quite widespread among healthcare personnel, but «awareness is one thing and the scrupulous application of hand washing programs is another; and the data show that in many Western countries, including Italy, there are no optimal hand washing standards».
The results that could be obtained are significant: «eliminating the contagion through the hands, – says the infectious disease specialist – would lead to a reduction of the 20% of infections in the hospital; it would then be necessary to disseminate correct management of urinary and vascular catheters, as well as greater attention to the early identification of the infections themselves".
Renato Torlaschi
