Sepsis Can Be Prevented on World Hand Hygiene Day, May 5th and Every Day!

May 4, 2018 4:45 PM ET

World Hand Hygiene Day is May 5th. This day reminds us that hand hygiene is important today, and every day. And it is especially important in healthcare settings where hand hygiene reduces the risk of patients contracting infections and developing sepsis.

This year, the global theme for World Hand Hygiene Day is ‘It’s in your hands – prevent sepsis in health care’, set by the Private Organization for Patient Safety and the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of World Hand Hygiene Day, we have developed an easy to remember call to action in the form of 3 steps, with the aim to help healthcare professionals (HCPs) reduce infections and sepsis among patients.

Think hygiene. Act to prevent. Care for patients. Or put more simply: Think. Act. Care.

Sepsis Prevention

Sometimes wrongly referred to as blood poisoning, sepsis is the life-threatening response of a patient’s own body to a pre-existing infection and has been found to be a contributing factor to 1/3 of all hospital deaths. However, there are ways to prevent sepsis and raising awareness about the condition is the first step towards saving lives.

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