Ignaz Semmelweiss: Breaking The Chain Of Infection

In 1847 Ignaz Semmelweiss discovered that healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) were commonly transmitted by the hands of healthcare workers and hand washing was an important component in breaking the chain of infection (Weston, 2008 and World Health Organization (WHO), 2009). Hand washing helps to control infection rates (Weston, 2008) and is the simplest and most effective way to break the chain of infection and prevent HCAIs (Pittet & Boye, 2001).
This assignment will examine the chain of infection, how infection is spread and the subsequent consequences. The process of hand washing will also be explored, looking at when hand washing should be used, technique and whether when used alone it is enough to break the chain. Ignaz Semmelweiss also discovered that there were significant barriers to hand washing (Weston, 2008), these will be discussed and some solutions will be considered.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Conduct (2008) states that you must identify and minimise any risk to patients,
According to Emmerson et al. (1996) the most common types of infection are on the skin, surgical sites, the urinary tract and the lower respiratory tract and if untreated can cause pneumonia and infections of the blood stream and urinary tract (Pittet et al, 2011). Hand washing is particularly important when dealing with patients with invasive devices and artificial openings (WHO, 2009). Catheter care, enteral feeding and central venous catheters are points of entry for pathogens and bacteria, other points of entry include the mouth, wounds, rectum, urethra and mucus membranes (Weston, 2008). Factors that are likely to increase the risk of transmission and infection include productive coughs, exuding wounds with cellulitis, diarrhoea, incontinence or uncontrolled bleeding (Bowell,