What is hygiene and cleaning?

Hygiene and cleaning in healthcare are essential aspects of infection prevention and control. They encompass a range of measures and protocols applied to prevent the spread of pathogens and maintain a clean and safe environment for both patients and caregivers. These practices play a vital role in reducing nosocomial infections and promoting overall health and safety in healthcare facilities.

Here are some important aspects of hygiene and cleaning in healthcare:

1. Hand hygiene: Regular and thorough hand washing is one of the most effective measures to prevent the spread of pathogens. Healthcare providers should wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based disinfectants, especially before and after caring for a patient, handling medical devices and performing procedures.

2. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Proper use of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, aprons, masks and eye protection, is vital to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens. PPE should be worn during situations where there may be contact with bodily fluids, contaminated materials or patients with transmissible infections.

3. Cleaning and disinfection of surfaces: Regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, equipment and environments in healthcare facilities is essential. This helps to clean potentially contaminated surfaces and reduce the spread of pathogens. Using disinfectants that are effective against a wide range of microorganisms is important.

4. Waste management: Adequate waste management is important for the safe disposal of infectious waste. It includes properly separating, collecting, transporting and disposing of various types of waste, taking into account the correct protocols and regulations.

5. Air quality and ventilation: Maintaining good air quality and ventilation in healthcare facilities is important to minimize the spread of airborne pathogens. Adequate ventilation systems, filters and air quality monitoring play a role in reducing the risk of infections.

6. Infection prevention and control: Infection prevention and control protocols, such as isolation measures, vaccination programs and infection surveillance, help prevent and control infections within the healthcare environment.

Adhering to strict healthcare hygiene and cleaning practices is critical to reducing the risk of infections and ensuring the safety of patients, caregivers and visitors. These measures should be supported by training, awareness and compliance with applicable infection prevention guidelines and protocols.