Zone negli ospedali in cui è vietato stringersi la mano: è quanto propone Mark Sklansky dell”università della California in un editoriale pubblicato dalla rivista Jama allo scopo di limitare la diffusione delle infezioni.
Replacing the classic handshake, perhaps with a bow, may seem a bizarre idea, yet many studies have already proven that hands are an ideal vehicle for the transmission of various germs, including Clostridium difficile, one of the most feared in hospitals .
After all, as you observe Joseph Hippolytus, Scientific Director of the "Lazzaro Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, "failure to wash hands is the first risk factor for the transmission of infections in hospitals, so much so that a few days ago the World Health Organization promoted a dedicated world day. And the problem does not only concern the staff but also the people who come into contact with patients, or with furnishings or other, through which hospital germs can be transmitted ».
Recalling that the possibility of causing infections through a handshake, on which perhaps a person has sneezed, does not only concern hospital environments, Professor Ippolito believes that it is important to consider any proposal that may be useful. In fact, awareness of the problem of infections appears quite widespread among healthcare personnel, but «awareness is one thing and the scrupulous application of hand washing programs is another; and the data show that in many Western countries, including Italy, there are no optimal hand washing standards».
I risultati che si potrebbero ottenere sono significativi: «eliminare il contagio attraverso le mani, – dice l’infettivologo – porterebbe a un abbattimento del 20% delle infezioni in ospedale; servirebbe poi diffondere una gestione corretta dei cateteri urinari e di quelli vascolari, oltre a una maggiore attenzione per identificare precocemente le infezioni stesse».
Renato Torlaschi