This week (Oct 15-21) is International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW). Each year, in the third week of October, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) hosts IIPW to educate both professionals and consumers on the role of infection prevention in patient safety. This year’s theme is Antibiotic Resistance. APIC has a complete toolkit available to help raise awareness about antibiotic resistance and other issues related to infection prevention.

Infection prevention has many facets. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), hand hygiene is one of the most important steps in reducing the spread of germs.

Buckeye developed the Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program to speak to the importance of hand hygiene in every facility. This complete program provides hand sanitizers and hand washes that reduce common disease-causing bacteria. For healthcare facilities, convenient point of care tools are available before, during, and after patient contact to improve the health and safety of patients and healthcare workers. Symmetry also comes with customizable awareness and education materials to help you maximize hand hygiene practices in your facility.

APIC also has a number of tools and resources to help spread awareness about infection prevention. These tools are accessible throughout Infection Prevention Week and beyond. For more information on Buckeye’s Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program, contact your local Buckeye representative.

 

APIC, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the largest infection prevention conference in the world, is next week! From June 14th-16th in Portland, Oregon, healthcare professionals will come together to learn about advances in infection prevention.

This is the 44th Annual Conference. It will feature over 90 educational sessions and workshops, and over 270 exhibits. Thousands of healthcare professionals come to learn from infection prevention experts and experience the latest technology through hands-on demonstrations.

Visit the Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program booth #909. Clean hands are the first and simplest step to reducing the spread of germs. Learn how to increase hand hygiene compliance rates in your healthcare facility with the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program by visiting us at APIC.

To learn more about APIC, visit their website.

 

Hand hygiene noncompliance is a major contributor to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program accounts for the importance of hand hygiene acceptance and provides products that healthcare workers want to use.

One common hand hygiene problem encountered in healthcare facilities is complaints of hand dryness, itchiness, or redness after continued use of hand sanitizer. When these complaints arise, employees, patients and visitors are less likely to practice proper hand hygiene.

Facilities that test Symmetry products overwhelmingly choose Symmetry over other hand hygiene products in quality, fragrance, drying time, feel, and comfort.

Symmetry matches the quality of its products with its customizable options. Symmetry dispensers are ADA compliant and can be customized with colors, logos, and behavior modification placards to inspire hand hygiene. Customizable education and awareness tools such as signs, posters, and wall charts are also available to assist in creating a culture of hand hygiene.

Symmetry also offers various point-of-care items such as brackets, lanyards, and suction cups for healthcare workers, patients, and visitors needing quick access to hand sanitizer.

Above all, the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program recognizes that in order to achieve hand hygiene compliance in healthcare facilities, healthcare staff must like the product. If healthcare workers like the hand hygiene products, they will use those products and, as a result, help prevent HAIs.

Contact your Symmetry representative to schedule a Symmetry Challenge and evaluate the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program against other hand hygiene products.

A quality hand hygiene program is more than just quality hand sanitizer and hand wash. The products need to be easily dispensed and available for use in key areas throughout a facility.

Symmetry dispensers feature large sight windows for checking product levels, and hidden and keyed integrated lock options. The dispensers may be customized with your logo, message, and color. Symmetry also has Symmetry Visual Light Cue (VLC) dispensers that have a flashing light on them to draw attention to the dispensers and increase proper hand hygiene usage. A study done by the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) concluded that a flashing light increased compliance by 49%!

Symmetry dispensers can also be installed on Symmetry dispenser stands. Well-placed sanitizing stands promote the use of hand sanitizer, and help further reduce the spread of germs. Symmetry stands are best located in high traffic and highly visible areas such as front entrance foyers, patient waiting areas, elevator banks, and lunch rooms. Each stand is freestanding, 50 inches tall, weighs 30 lbs., and is available in black or white. Symmetry stands and dispensers are part of the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program offers a complete set of customizable education and awareness tools to assist in creating a culture of hand hygiene. You can customize informative education and awareness pieces that focus on the “how” and “why” of proper hand hygiene. This includes wall charts, posters, handwashing videos, and product literature. There is also the Symmetry Behavior Modification System, SBMS, which uses behavioral science to drive hand hygiene practices. It incorporates 6 key tenets to inspire hand hygiene compliance including: Benevolence, Accountability, Responsibility, Variation, Emotion, and Direction. The goal of SBMS is to provide tools that capture attention in the moment, driving an immediate hand hygiene event to take place. Symmetry not only provides products for proper hand hygiene, but provides the awareness pieces and tools to understand it. Contact today to learn more.

A hand hygiene program is complete only when you have all of the necessary components. The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program offers a complete line of hand hygiene products, including quality hand sanitizers. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program has three different hand sanitizers that can fit your facility’s hand hygiene product needs.

 

Symmetry’s Non-Alcohol Foaming Hand Sanitizer is a rich foaming, waterless hand sanitizer that reduces common disease-causing bacteria. It contains allantoin and aloe, that will leave hands refreshed even after repeated use. It dries quickly, has a mild sweet fragrance, and doesn’t contain triclosan. Another option is Symmetry’s Foaming Hand Sanitizer that contains 62% w/w ethyl alcohol, aloe, and vitamin E. It also does not contain triclosan and is available unscented. A third option is Symmetry’s Gel Hand Sanitizer. It will leave hands feeling refreshed without leaving a sticky residue. With all of these hand sanitizers you can apply gloves with ease after sanitizing and it does not dry out hands.

Symmetry hand sanitizers are packaged in hermetically sealed plastic bags and pump bottles that have a “no-drip” system. The packages are contaminate-free and allow for 99% product evacuations. You will not be wasting dollars discarding containers that do not utilize all of the hand sanitizer! Learn more about Symmetry hand sanitizers and the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program here.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene program has more than just effective hand sanitizers. It offers a full line of hand washes, lotions, and dispensers complete with education, awareness and behavior modification tools, and training for all markets. One example of additional tools available is the Symmetry Behavior Modification System. It is a set of unique placards and signs with messages designed to inspire hand hygiene. There are even wall charts, posters, product literature, and hand washing videos to help you maximize hand hygiene practices in your facility. Symmetry understands the importance of proper hand hygiene, and provides not only the products, but also the education and awareness necessary to reinforce it.

Friends, family members, and healthcare professionals are coming together this week to celebrate International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), October 16-22. This week raises awareness of the role infection prevention plays in improving patient safety. The theme for this year is “Break the Chain of Infection.” There are six main points at which the chain can be broken and a germ can be stopped from infecting another person. The six links are the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. 

During this week you can go to the APIC website for tips, infographics, and resources to help you advocate and promote infection prevention. There are also polls and quizzes you can take to test you and your colleagues infection prevention knowledge. You can join the conversation later today during the Twitter chat at 2 p.m. and the Thunderclap on October 19 at 12 p.m. EDT. Be sure to use the hashtag #IIPWChat!

Everyone plays an important part in infection prevention. Unfortunately, there are germs inside and outside of the healthcare setting that can spread in different ways. Patients, families, and healthcare professionals can work together to stay healthy. You can start by cleaning your hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitizer, asking about vaccines, becoming familiar with healthcare-associated infections, and asking questions when you go into any healthcare facility. Don’t be shy about speaking up for your care.

Outside the healthcare setting you can help avoid an infection from one of your closest companions, your cell phone. Never take your phone into the restroom and be sure to wipe your phone with an alcohol-based wipe periodically. Be sure to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and do not place your phone on surfaces such as bus seats or restroom floors. And, as always, clean your hands and keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Don’t forget that coming up is a week dedicated to raising awareness of the role infection prevention plays in improving patient safety. International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) is the week of October 16-22. There will also be a Twitter chat hosted by AHA and APIC on October 17 at 2 p.m. EDT so be sure to join the conversation by using the hashtag #IIPWChat. The focus will be on this year’s IIPW theme, learning how to “Break the Chain of Infection.” You can also check out the “Break the Chain of Infection” podcast here.

International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) is October 16-22. IIPW is an annual week of recognition each year dedicated to raising awareness of the role infection prevention plays in improving patient safety. It was established in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan and is now run by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). It is recognized all over the world, and the 2016 theme is: “Break the Chain of Infection”.

Break the Chain of Infection is about stopping the chain reaction of events that occurs when infections spread to others. Highlights of this year’s theme include speaking up for your care, keeping your hands clean, asking about safe injection practices, and more. Many times infections are preventable and you can learn how to be an infection preventionist. For helpful tools and more information on how you can be a part of IIPW you can check out the IIPW website. You can access sample social media posts, newsletter copy, ideas for hosting an IIPW event and other online resources. These resources are meant for children and adults so everyone can learn how to break the chain of infection any day. There will also be a Twitter chat on October 17 at 2 p.m. EDT so be sure to join the conversation.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program offers a complete line of hand hygiene solutions to fully match the APIC guideline for infection prevention. Let your hands choose.

One of the many benefits of the Symmetry® Hand Hygiene Program is Symmetry dispensers. So what makes Symmetry dispensers so great? To start, the ergonomics of Symmetry dispensers combined with behavior modification placards and educational signs inspire hand hygiene, and won Symmetry an International Design Award.

Symmetry dispensers are ADA compliant, available with keyed and hidden locking options, have oversized sight windows for visual product inspection, and may be customized with your logo and color. Also, sight windows, covers, and levers can be replaced without having to take dispensers down.

Symmetry dispensers are also adaptable for both liquid and foam hand hygiene products so one dispenser meets all needs. This allows facilities to switch between Symmetry liquid and foaming products if they choose.

Symmetry hand hygiene product bags are flexible and hermetically sealed to ensure no contamination. They have a 99% evacuation rate, and each bag comes with a new pump.

Visit www.symmetryhandhygiene.com to learn more about the features and benefits of Symmetry dispensers.

The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program offers multiple cost effective hand washes that can fit into any facility’s hygiene program. Symmetry products are available in hermetically sealed packages that are contaminate-free and allow for 99% product evacuation. Having proper hand washes at your facility can lead to reduced hand hygiene costs and increased hand hygiene awareness and compliance.

If you are looking for Green Seal^™ certified products, Symmetry has multiple hand wash options. You can choose from the Green Certified Liquid Hand Soap, Green Certified Foaming Hand Wash, and Green Certified Foaming Hand Wash Unscented. Each of these hand washes are biodegradable, free of all dyes, and certified by Green Seal to meet the GS41 standard. Symmetry Green Certified Foaming Hand Wash is a good option as a hand cleaner for general hand washing.

Two other hand wash options are Symmetry’s Antimicrobial Foaming Hand Wash and Antimicrobial Liquid Hand Wash. Both products contain 0.3% PCMX for the added benefit of germ killing. They also contain aloe and vitamin E leaving hands refreshed without any residue left behind — even with repeated use. They are available in a mild, fruity-floral fragrance and are perfectly suited for healthcare, hospitality, schools, exercise facilities, and veterinary facilities.

Symmetry also has Hair, Hand and Body Wash, Hair, Hand and Body Foaming Wash, and Industrial Hand Wash to choose from. Hair, Hand and Body Foaming Wash is another Green Seal certified product option for general use. The Industrial Hand Wash is the go-to hand wash for heavy-duty handwashing. It is gentle on skin and powerful on dirt, grease and grime, and it does not clog drains or pipes. It is perfectly suited for industrial facilities. No matter what your facility’s hand wash needs are, Symmetry has a product that can help deliver quality hand hygiene.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene program has more than just effective hand washes. It offers a full line of hand washes, hand sanitizers, lotions, and dispensers complete with education, awareness and behavior modification tools, and training for all markets. The Symmetry Challenge invites you to evaluate the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program against your current hand hygiene program and a program from a third party. A Symmetry representative will help you hold a product evaluation Expo at your facility and will work with you to create a survey for participants to fill out. After two weeks, results will be tallied and presented. You can also use the Symmetry Try & Buy Program to gather valuable feedback from the people using your hand hygiene products. Symmetry will install test dispensers, along with hand hygiene products, and surveying tools. The Symmetry dispensers will come with a feedback sticker on it so you can easily gather information. The goal is to find out your facility needs and needs of those using your hand hygiene products. That way your facility’s needs and your hand hygiene program become perfectly synced. Contact us today to learn more.