Freakonomics: How Often Do MDs Really Wash Their Hands?

[birdmanmattyadam92]

Economists are so badass. So glad thats what Im doing in univeristy.

[edinvestor1]

A recent study of hospitals that have changed their culture to increase hand washing and better general attention to cleanliness had huge drops in hospital caused infections.

[duck24x]

Funny - I performed a hand-washing experiment in a microbiology laboratory at my local college. In spite of my lab teacher's repeated dogma that hand-washing is the #1 way to prevent the spread of microorganisms, the result of my hand-washing experiment showed otherwise: some levels of microbes went down, some stayed the same, and some went UP after handwashing!

[luvlots1]

everyone gasped when he said 9 percent

[stealthswimmer]

Maybe it was just that hospital in Australia, lol. Dunno, but my dad used to work at a hospital and while he wasn't a doctor, he did have to help some a few times and every time he did, he'd have to wash his hands before and after. Of course, i hear that a lotta nurses don't do that good of a job sometimes.

Personally, i think at least part of it is due to the medical guild restricting the number of medical personnel allowed into the industry and thus restricting competition.

[daderone]

all the doctors i know are actually pretty ultra sensitive about keeping clean from my experiance and observance.

I can't remember the last time i went into a medical office that didn't have sterilizing alcohol in every room that the Dr.'s use before and after each visit systematically.

But studies are studies. Maybe I'm lucky. I think so sometimes. I'd like to see more

[taliajazel]

may I just say, EWW

[2xtream]

Example:

The mask, gowns & gloves are NOT FOR THE DOCTORS PROTECTION !!!! THEY ARE FOR OUR PROTECTION !!!

When a Doctor say in ICU. Goes from one room to the next. They must take off the gown, mask, gloves and replace them with new clean ones before entering the next room. However this is hardly practiced because some have come into the belief they are used to protect them! This is a tragic practice and one that should never be over looked.. IF you catch um Stop um.

[TILLEYJS]

You don't know what you are talking about. The only time you gown up is when a patient is in contact isolation or is having a procedure done that requires a sterile field. The only other time would be if a person has a disorder that decreases their WBC.

[2xtream]

Tilleyjs. Your wrong

[TILLEYJS]

This video is not very shocking. If healthcare personnel washed their hands the proper way, they would have to call off work several days a year due to bleeding, dry hands. Not matter how much moisturizer you put in soap, it will dry your skin out. I will not speak of alcohol sanitizer. Thus making you more susceptible to infection due to cracking of skin. No healthcare worker properly washing their hands and I challenge anyone to say otherwise for said reasons above.

[ncfwhitetigress]

I've never had a problem with cracking hands. I could wash 50x a day if I wanted to.

[arequipa1]

no, you probably couldn't.

[TILLEYJS]

Actually, there are a couple problems with hospital infections. One, bacteria and viruses are living things and become resistant to the medicines we create. Two, antibiotics are over prescribed because people run to the doctor everytime they get a cold. Three, the hospital is a closed environment where everyone that is sick congregates. All of these sick persons cross contaminate each other regardless of what healthcare workers do.

[marsCubed]

@TILLEYJS I was overly harsh, I am not a health care pro. But it for sure is one of the things which worries people the most about going into hospitals.

And, if some hospitals can clean up their act.. why can't all of them?

Some of it will be due to logistics and space management, but mostly it has to do with culture.

It is like a macro scale mechanism exploited by microbes. in a way, a part of their geometry perhaps.

immunize with anti-body memes of good routines; seems sensible.

[ncfwhitetigress]

who the hell seriously runs to the doctor every time they get a cold? i sure as fuck don't.

[orcusabre]

@TILLEYJS Antibiotics are ONLY used to fight bacterial infections. Colds are usually caused by rhinoviruses which aren't bacteria. You've got the right idea though.

[TILLEYJS]

I was only trying to make a point, but I appreciate your point :)

[LokiClock]

If you dry your hands properly after washing it's not so much of a problem. The top layer of skin might die, but unless you have really dry skin it's not going to be that bad.

[AWonderVenus]

@TILLEYJS: I work at a hospital, interact with 40-50 pts a day and I follow handwashing to the T. The 3M Avagard D has 61% alcohol, is effective against MRSA and contains moisturizers. Every 10-15 times I use the Avagard (often less) I also wash my hands and use a pump of the moisturizers we have at every single sink. My hands never dry up, never crack and I could be a hand model. Your attitude is not only shocking, it's flippant, utterly self excusing and dangerous. Here's hoping you get fired.