Courtesy of the Tracy Press
March 17, 2010--
A Tracy, California private school has banned alcohol-based hand sanitizer after a third-grader ingested enough of the gel to land her in the hospital last week.
The West Valley Christian Academy student is fine now, but on March 9 suffered an “adverse reaction” after licking the gel off her hands, Principal Teresa Smith said.
The child was taken to the hospital from the school, at 1790 Sequoia Boulevard.
The school until last week had stocked in every classroom jugs of the germ-killing gel, which can contain up to 90 percent alcohol.
Roberto Alaniz, director of Disease Control and Prevention at the San Joaquin County public health department, said he recommends schools require children to wash their hands with soap or use non-alcoholic sanitizer to reduce risks.
As noted within this blog, there are several well-recognized 'brands' of non-alcohol sanitizers that are easily procured, thanks to update of this story since provided, the school in question procured and implemented "Soapopular" brand alcohol-free hand sanitizer
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Obama's Health Care: Hand Hygiene in Hospitals: 1% rise in compliance = Massive Savings
Insightful study for those looking to raise their hands and lower health care costs!
Hand-Hygiene Compliance, it’s worth a HIT!
A recent in-depth study conducted by Cummings, Anderson and Kaye indicates a 1% rise in hand hygiene compliance (HHC) equals a $39K savings for the hospital. Models were set up to simulate several occurrences of hand-hygiene noncompliance by a single healthcare worker. According to the article, “Hand Hygiene Noncompliance and the Cost of Hospital-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection”, Hand hygiene noncompliance events are associated with significant attributable hospital costs. Minimal improvements in compliance lead to substantial savings. The study used two different models:
1. Events of noncompliance with patients of an unknown MRSA status (results: associated with 42 MRSA infections (Cost resulting in nearly $1,000,000 in cost to the hospital)
2. Events with a known MRSA patient followed by events of an unknown MRSA patient (results: associated with 980 MRSA infections)(Cost resulting in nearly $22,000,000 in cost to the hospital)
The cost savings involved with an HHC solution are immense. With the data collected by Cummings, Anderson and Kaye and an analysis of their findings by a partner of DCC below are the conclusions that have been discovered:
· 1% increase in HHC = $200 savings per bed / year; 100% HHC = nearly $10k savings per bed / year
· A conservative 25% increase in HHC should equate to $5k per bed / year or $1M total for a 200 bed hospital
· Assume 500k CCM beds in the US times $10k per bed / year = $5B / year CMS problem.
o The Hi-Tech act “hopes” that EMRs will save $1.7B per year over 10 years
o A 25% HHC increase would result in $2.5B savings per year (forever)
o $2.5B is a 50% GREATER savings than Hi-Tech and saves 50,000 lives per year forever
Monday, March 8, 2010
Study Finds Hand Sanitizer Program Helped Produce 20% Decrease in Hospital-Acquired Infections
A State of Tennessee Department of Health Study, which focused on statistics gathered for the year 2008 and published in January 2010, found a 20% decrease in projected hospital-acquired infections.
"....Dave Roberts, vice president and chief medical officer at Jackson General stated,
"Jackson General takes many steps to help prevent hospital-acquired infections. From the 1,500 hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the hospital to staff checklists, the goal is to get the number of infections down to zero.."
"....Dave Roberts, vice president and chief medical officer at Jackson General stated,
"Jackson General takes many steps to help prevent hospital-acquired infections. From the 1,500 hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the hospital to staff checklists, the goal is to get the number of infections down to zero.."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Poor hand hygiene caused C diff outbreak that claimed five lives
Courtesy of NursingTimes.net:
Poor hand hygiene has been blamed for a deadly outbreak of C diff which killed two patients and contributed to the deaths of three others.
An internal report into hygiene compliance at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee found that hand hygiene standards had dropped to 85% in the month before the strain of Clostridium difficile (C diff) took hold in the ward.Poor hand hygiene has been blamed for a deadly outbreak of C diff which killed two patients and contributed to the deaths of three others.
We'd suggest that hand hygiene compliance in hospitals are impacted by the simple fact that nurses are sick and tired of destroying their skin by applying alcohol-based products to their hands...
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
WHO on Swine Flu:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Has the swine flu pandemic peaked globally? World Health Organization experts have decided and will tell the world on Wednesday.
The WHO is taking a big risk in making the announcement at all, and the wording of the decision will affect whether governments, companies and the public pay attention, or decide, wrongly, that the crisis is all over, public health experts say.
No matter what happens, some public health officials fear that the moderate nature of the H1N1 pandemic, which emerged in April and is dying down in the Americas and Europe, may make people complacent about the next one.
And the risk remains that H1N1 could come roaring back -- something viruses have done in past pandemics.
Click the title link for the full story courtesy of Reuters
The WHO is taking a big risk in making the announcement at all, and the wording of the decision will affect whether governments, companies and the public pay attention, or decide, wrongly, that the crisis is all over, public health experts say.
No matter what happens, some public health officials fear that the moderate nature of the H1N1 pandemic, which emerged in April and is dying down in the Americas and Europe, may make people complacent about the next one.
And the risk remains that H1N1 could come roaring back -- something viruses have done in past pandemics.
Click the title link for the full story courtesy of Reuters
Monday, February 22, 2010
University Of Michigan Says NO to Alcohol-Hand Sanitizer; Recommends Alcohol-Free For Students
Hand Sanitizer Recommendations for Campus
Following the advice of the University's Chief Health Officer, we are recommending that hand sanitizers be made more available in common areas on campus this fall and that those hand sanitizers be non-alcohol based containing 0.13% benzalkonium chloride (BAK). Studies have shown that BAK's are effective at killing the influenza virus. The non-alcohol based sanitizers are being recommended for public spaces because the alcohol based products are classified as a flammable liquid.
Departments are strongly encouraged to place non-alcohol based hand sanitizers in common areas such as dining facilities, shared equipment spaces (computer labs), child care facilities, service counters, and other high traffic public areas.
The cheapest and probably easiest way to order this hand sanitizer is through OfficeMax. Attached is a spreadsheet with more detailed information about where and how to order sanitizers. If you decide to find an alternative vendor, please ensure the non-alcohol product contains the recommended 0.13% BAK. Individual staff members may continue to have alcohol based sanitizer on their desks.
If you have any questions, please contact me at ldrabczy@umd.umich.edu or 313-593-4914.
CDC Provides Thumbs Up : Non-Alcohol Sanitizers
What if soap and water are not available, and alcohol-based products are NOT ALLOWED in my facility?
A: Though the scientific evidence is [perhaps] not as extensive* as that i.e. hand washing and alcohol-based sanitizers, other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol may be useful for killing flu germs on hands.
*CDC has informally indicated that the definition of "extensive evidence" includes historical studies providing up to 10 years of research data.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Soup Kitchen To Stop Dispensing Alcohol Hand Sanitizer: Seeks Non-Alcohol Product
To our friends at GOJO Industries that love to visit this blog on a daily basis, this story, including the photo image, comes courtesy of Winnipeg, Canada NewsRadio 980....So, if this story gets your dander up, we recommend that you complain to the FDA about the news station, instead of complaining to them about this blog!
Saskatoon Soup Kitchen Removes Hand Sanitizer
Move comes after reports of abuse
"At this point we are trying to source out a hand sanitizer that is not alcohol based," Doell said. "We're here to help people, not to harm them."
Doell says the discovery that some people were drinking the gel was "alarming".
Recently, there have been reports out of Winnipeg of people using salt to separate the alcohol from the hand sanitizer
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Hospital to lock up alcohol hand-sanitizer dispensers
Once again, folks--we just can't make these things up!
Courtesy of the Canada's Winnipeg Free Press--here's the short, excerpted version:
THE Health Sciences Centre will begin padlocking some of its hand-sanitizer dispensers in an effort to cut down on theft and potential abuse. The move came after the province's largest hospital realized as many as 116 bags of alcohol-based sanitizer were disappearing monthly from its wall dispensers.
Police say people are misusing sanitizer by adding salt to it and then drinking the liquid, which poses serious health risks. "Theft has been a big issue," said Craig Doerksen, HSC divisional director of facility management and maintenance services.
Police said the growth of hand-sanitizer abuse came in the wake of the H1N1 flu virus last April when the dispensers suddenly became ubiquitous. However, Doerksen said, in early 2009 the hospital had already started installing the 150-plus public dispensers before H1N1 hit. But locking up the sanitizer might not solve the theft issue, said Doerksen.
"If we lock the containers up, that might just mean the person kicks the whole thing off the wall and steals the product anyways, and now I have a broken wall to fix in addition to a dispenser."
An HSC spokeswoman said they'll also be introducing signs on some public dispensers that tell people sanitizer is for hand-use only and not for drinking.
Alternatively, HSC should consider a simpler approach: installing non-alcohol hand sanitizer products, that are clearly marked as being "NON-ALCOHOL-HAND SANITIZER".... it took us about two seconds to find just one competing product: ..notice the logo and labeling on the dispenser-duh!
Courtesy of the Canada's Winnipeg Free Press--here's the short, excerpted version:
THE Health Sciences Centre will begin padlocking some of its hand-sanitizer dispensers in an effort to cut down on theft and potential abuse. The move came after the province's largest hospital realized as many as 116 bags of alcohol-based sanitizer were disappearing monthly from its wall dispensers.
Police say people are misusing sanitizer by adding salt to it and then drinking the liquid, which poses serious health risks. "Theft has been a big issue," said Craig Doerksen, HSC divisional director of facility management and maintenance services.
Police said the growth of hand-sanitizer abuse came in the wake of the H1N1 flu virus last April when the dispensers suddenly became ubiquitous. However, Doerksen said, in early 2009 the hospital had already started installing the 150-plus public dispensers before H1N1 hit. But locking up the sanitizer might not solve the theft issue, said Doerksen.
"If we lock the containers up, that might just mean the person kicks the whole thing off the wall and steals the product anyways, and now I have a broken wall to fix in addition to a dispenser."
An HSC spokeswoman said they'll also be introducing signs on some public dispensers that tell people sanitizer is for hand-use only and not for drinking.
Alternatively, HSC should consider a simpler approach: installing non-alcohol hand sanitizer products, that are clearly marked as being "NON-ALCOHOL-HAND SANITIZER".... it took us about two seconds to find just one competing product: ..notice the logo and labeling on the dispenser-duh!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Retailer Removes Alcohol Hand Sanitizer From Shelves: Concerns about people drinking it for alcohol content
The news stories just go on and on and on...
Courtesy of Canada's CBC News
Courtesy of Canada's CBC News
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 | 2:27 PM CT
A downtown Winnipeg store has pulled large bottles of hand sanitizer from its shelves after people were reportedly buying it to get drunk.
The 750-millilitre bottle of sanitizer at the store was being sold for $2 and empty bottles with the store's label were being found scattered in areas where addicts are known to drink.
"This would be replacing mouthwash right now [as an over-the-counter intoxicant]," said Wraylyn Black, a supervisor with the Downtown Biz security patrol.
"They seem to purchase it for a low cost of $2 or they tend to steal it and that's why we can find two to four to five bottles on one individual."
The store's operators pulled the product after representatives from the Biz and the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) visited this week and advised them of the problem.
Although the sanitizer is sold in a gel form, addicts find ways to thin it into a liquid form, said Black.
"They've caught on to the fact that it has a lot of alcohol in it and they are finding ways. They are like little chemists — they're finding ways to make it a liquefied drink and now it is hitting our streets.
"They figured out what it can do and it is causing some problems."
The Biz, which advocates for downtown businesses and revitalization, police and MLCC are preparing to launch an education campaign for all downtown businesses about the product.
They want retailers to keep the sanitizer in a place where they can have an eye on it, or sell alcohol-free sanitizer.
They are also reminding storeowners that fines under Manitoba's Liquor Control Act for people who knowingly sell hand sanitizer to people intending to ingest it range from $2,000 to $20,000.
The 750-millilitre bottle of sanitizer at the store was being sold for $2 and empty bottles with the store's label were being found scattered in areas where addicts are known to drink.
"This would be replacing mouthwash right now [as an over-the-counter intoxicant]," said Wraylyn Black, a supervisor with the Downtown Biz security patrol.
"They seem to purchase it for a low cost of $2 or they tend to steal it and that's why we can find two to four to five bottles on one individual."
'They are like little chemists — they're finding ways to make it a liquefied drink and now it is hitting our streets.'—Wraylyn Black, Downtown BizBlack has a collection of the empty bottles that have been gathered up by Biz patrol members.
The store's operators pulled the product after representatives from the Biz and the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) visited this week and advised them of the problem.
Although the sanitizer is sold in a gel form, addicts find ways to thin it into a liquid form, said Black.
"They've caught on to the fact that it has a lot of alcohol in it and they are finding ways. They are like little chemists — they're finding ways to make it a liquefied drink and now it is hitting our streets.
"They figured out what it can do and it is causing some problems."
The Biz, which advocates for downtown businesses and revitalization, police and MLCC are preparing to launch an education campaign for all downtown businesses about the product.
They want retailers to keep the sanitizer in a place where they can have an eye on it, or sell alcohol-free sanitizer.
They are also reminding storeowners that fines under Manitoba's Liquor Control Act for people who knowingly sell hand sanitizer to people intending to ingest it range from $2,000 to $20,000.
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