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If you ever need paramedic care, you may want to check that they have washed their hands first.
A new study found that paramedics, including those in Australia, are remarkably unable to meet hand hygiene standards.
The researchers followed ambulance workers in Australia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark and indicated how often they did what they needed to prevent the spread of the disease.
They found that paramedics were much more likely to use a hand sanitizer or soap and water to clean their hands after touching a patient, reflecting the desire to protect their own health.
But they were little able to do the same thing before touching a patient, which further exposed the sick and wounded to microbes.
Overall, EMTs only follow hygiene instructions 15% of the time.
When that figure was broken down, he showed where the worst of the problem was.
Compliance was just 3% before touching a patient and 2% before procedures such as giving a needle or cleaning a wound.
This reached 8% after contact with body fluids and 29% after touching a patient.
In addition, paramedics used gloves only in 54% of the recommended cases.
And many times, paramedics failed to put on new gloves after touching potentially contaminated surfaces, and then performed tasks such as administering injections.
The researchers also found that other forms of hand hygiene fell when the gloves were worn.
The study involved Monash University and the University of Southern Denmark and tracked the habits of 77 paramedics for hundreds of hours in all four countries.
Researchers say this demonstrates the need for more detailed research on what prevents paramedics from achieving their hygiene goals.
The study was published in the journal Emergency Medicine Journal.
Australian Associated Press
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