We all know about the growing threat of
antimicrobial resistance and have seen the
headlines about "superbugs" and "nightmare bacteria."
Unfortunately, this threat is very real. Now more
than ever, it's critical that we work together to
contain these drug-resistant pathogens and the
infections they cause. Keeping our hands clean
is one of the most important ways to prevent
the spread of infections.
Every time we enter the patient zone,
we can get dangerous germs on our hands and
spread them to ourselves or to other patients.
Sometimes we don't clean our hands as
often as we should. Not because we mean to
do harm, but because it's a daunting task.
Some of us might have to do it 100 times a day.
It takes dedication, mindfulness, and time.
Our patients' lives depend on it.
Let's applaud the efforts and improvements
we've already made. Increases in hand hygiene
adherence have led to decreases in
healthcare-associated infections. At the same time,
we know there is still room for improvement.
We can all do better.
Our clean hands count now more than ever.