Surgical Scrubs Industry Regulations
Provides reliable information summarizing the requirements and recommendations for a surgical scrub by the various regulatory and advising bodies.

Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings: A Summary
The most common mode of transmission of pathogens is via the hands of healthcare workers and hand hygiene is accepted as one of the most important measures for preventing transmission of pathogens in health-care facilities. There is substantial evidence that hand hygiene reduces the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Alcohol-based hand rubs have been widely adopted in healthcare facilities because of their convenience, speed of use, skin health benefits, ability to be used independently of sinks, and superior efficacy. In a laboratory setting, plain soaps reduce bacterial counts, but antimicrobial soaps are better, and ABHR are best. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included the recommendation that ABHR should be used in the majority of clinical situations in their 2003 Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) affirmed these recommendations in their 2009 Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care. It is important to note that there are caveats to the use of ABHR, and they include when hands are visibly soiled or contaminated with blood or other bodily fluids. In these situations, the use of either antimicrobial or non-antimicrobial soap and water is warranted.

Soap: The science behind it, the changing regulatory landscape ahead, and tools and tips for selecting a soap that’s right for your facility.
Hand hygiene is the primary measure to prevent transmission of pathogens in healthcare facilities and alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is designated as the preferred method for performing hand hygiene by the 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene guidelines. However, soap and water also plays a critical role in hand hygiene, namely when hands are visibly soiled or contaminated with blood or other bodily fluids and when there are outbreaks of Clostridium difficile or Norovirus. Because ABHR has been the primary focus for hand hygiene, soap has received less attention in recent years, and due to limited data around soap, many healthcare facilities have given less thought to the type of soap they are using. However, regulations for antiseptic active ingredients typically used in hand soap are undergoing revisions and the landscape of available actives is likely to change soon. These forthcoming regulatory changes will force many healthcare facilities to rethink their hand soap choices and look for technical information that typically does not exist. Anticipating these changes and arming oneself with information can help alleviate uncertainty and simplify future decisions. The purpose of this paper is to educate infection preventionists and other key decision makers on the science of soap, help explain the regulatory changes underway, understand possible outcomes, provide guidance on how to evaluate soap products, and decide which soap is best for a facility.

Hand Hygiene Products and Their Effect on Skin Condition at High Compliance: The Need for Better Product Formulations
Changes to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid payment policies has resulted in an intensified focus on reducing healthcare-associated infections, including increasing hand hygiene compliance. Hand hygiene is the most important measure for preventing transmission of pathogens, but as compliance increases, skin health can decrease. Soap is usually the culprit, and changing practice to primarily use hand sanitizer can help significantly, but only up to a point. Current formulations may not adequately address skin health needs that arise in very high compliance environments. There is a need to develop products that adequately address skin health needs in these situations.

Hand Hygiene in Clinical Settings: A Primer on Hand Hygiene Regimens and Their Effect on Skin Condition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have long cited hand hygiene as the primary means to reduce HAI and published studies demonstrate that healthcare facilities that have successfully increased hand hygiene compliance have seen a simultaneous decrease in healthcare-associated infections. Yet, hand hygiene compliance rates remain unacceptably low.

How Today's Intuitive, State-of-the-Art Hand Hygiene Technology Fits The Evolving Hospital Environment
GOJO Industries assembled a panel of thought leaders and experts in Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) and infection control. They were invited to participate in a webinar called How Today’s Intuitive, State-of-the-Art Hand Hygiene Technology Fits the Evolving Hospital Environment. The goal of the webinar was to evaluate the ways RTLS technology has evolved through the years to support the high-performance culture of today’s hospitals, as well as how these systems can drive down costs and enhance patient safety and satisfaction.

How Today's Intuitive, State-of-the-Art Hand Hygiene Technology Fits The Evolving Hospital Environment
GOJO Industries assembled a panel of thought leaders and experts in Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) and infection control. They were invited to participate in a webinar called How Today’s Intuitive, State-of-the-Art Hand Hygiene Technology Fits the Evolving Hospital Environment. The goal of the webinar was to evaluate the ways RTLS technology has evolved through the years to support the high-performance culture of today’s hospitals, as well as how these systems can drive down costs and enhance patient safety and satisfaction.

FDA Consumer Antimicrobial Handwash Proposed Rule: What Does It Mean and Does It Impact Healthcare or Not?
This whitepaper is intended to be an objective review of both sides of the discussion regarding antimicrobial soaps for consumer use and why the Proposed Rule has been issued. This informational communication is meant to arm you with background information and to help you bring context to the discussion, should your staff be misinformed about this topic and inquire about products being used in your facility.

Hand Hygiene and Skin Damage: Eliminating the concept that alcohol-based handrubs are more damaging than handwashing
Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures to prevent the spread and acquisition of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Hand hygiene is a critical component to infection control programs and considered a standard of care by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization. This article will dispel this concept by summarizing the scientific studies that have demonstrated the effects of hand hygiene regimens on skin conditioning.

Hand Hygiene Compliance Measurement
Discuss the background on hand hygiene observation, the current “Gold Standard” and learn about how the new Technology-Enabled Observation of Electronic Compliance Monitoring, along with products and clinical interventions, work synergistically to create a hand hygiene program with the ultimate goal of sustained improvement in hand hygiene.

Alcohol-Based Handrubs: Understanding the Variables That Drive Antimicrobial Efficacy
Alcohol-based handrubs are complex formulations, balancing antimicrobial efficacy with product aesthetics and skin performance to ensure healthcare worker acceptance and use. Results from in vivo Healthcare Personnel Handwash (HCPHW, ASTM E1174) studies show that product formulation and product application volume, not alcohol concentration or product form are key determinants of the in vivo antimicrobial efficacy of ABHR. Therefore, critical examination of HCPHW data along with the quantity of product applied to hands in the test should be conducted when comparing antimicrobial efficacy of products.

Patient Hand Hygiene a Forgotten Part of Infection Prevention
Hand hygiene, which includes patients, is acknowledged as one of the most important measures for preventing transmission of pathogens in healthcare facilities.