Did you know that in the UK alone, sepsis kills 5 people every hour with a total of 52,000 dying from sepsis each year which is more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined? This is a pretty awful statistic displaying how life-threatening the disease is and much of a real issue sepsis is in the UK.
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What is sepsis?
Normally, the body’s immune system can protect you can from most infections and illnesses however sometimes when the body tries to fight off an infection, the immune system can go into overdrive and this is when sepsis develops. If incorrectly identified and not treated quickly sepsis can be fatal.
Just some of the signs and symptoms of sepsis include extreme shivering and/or muscle pain, passing no urine for more than 24 hours, severe breathlessness, the feeling that you may die and mottled skin which can be blue or purple in colour. In children, symptoms can include; extreme lethargy, feeling extremely cold to touch and possessing a rash that does not go away when you touch it.
Although awareness of the fatal disease is growing through national media coverage, news and articles usually relates to spotting the signs and symptoms of sepsis rather than how to prevent sepsis from developing in the first place.
Sepsis usually starts in the community; at work, home or school with infections often being spread and transmitted by hand. Handwashing and sanitising can be a very effective way of preventing the spread of infections that cause sepsis, especially in healthcare environments.
Effective handwashing and sanitising to prevent sepsis
Handwashing may be a simple enough task but a staggering 84% of UK adults fail to wash their hands for long enough and there are considerable numbers of people who fail to wash them at all when they should e.g. after using the toilet.
Handwashing is found to be the easiest and most effective way of reducing the spread of infection. Clean hands can potentially save lives.
Help to prevent the spread of infections that cause sepsis by ensuring your business is promoting good handwashing practices and providing adequate handwashing facilities in your business’ washroom.
Promoting good handwashing practices in your business’ washroom
It’s important to educate and engage users of your business’ washroom to wash their hands correctly to minimise the spread of infection. Handwashing guidance posters can be displayed to encourage people to follow the right handwashing procedures including washing hands thoroughly for more 20 seconds using a decent amount of soap and paying attention to finger tips, between the fingers, backs of hands, palms and wrists.
Provide effective hand hygiene facilities
In order for users of your washroom to correctly wash their hands, effective hand hygiene facilities that are stocked and available at all times should be fitted.
Citron Hygiene can help your business to create a hygienic washroom environment that can combat the spread of infection and sepsis with the provision of effective hand hygiene solutions.
The Citron Hygiene Imagine Auto Foam Soap Dispenser promotes healthy hand hygiene through the sophisticated touch free operation thus helping to eliminate potential harmful bacteria. Dependent on your washrooms footfall, you can choose between three capacities of 500ml, 800ml and 1100ml to ensure your washroom consistently has soap available for its users. Citron’s professionally managed service will ensure you never run out of soap!
Don’t neglect to provide hand drying facilities as damp hands can rapidly spread potentially harmful germs and bacteria.
In environments where soap and water may not be available, antibacterial hand cleaner or hand sanitiser are hygienic alternatives that can be provided throughout your business to minimise the spread of germs.
Help to Prevent Sepsis with Hand Hygiene Facilities from Citron Hygiene
Although not every illness that causes sepsis can be avoided, by ensuring your business is taking the right steps to educate and promote correct handwashing procedures providing users with effective hand hygiene facilities risks can be reduced.
If you would like to find out more information on Citron Hygiene’s complete range of hygiene solutions, call 08000 66 55 52 and a member of our team will be happy to discuss your individual business requirements.
