Out, damned spot!
MDH and I were sitting down enjoying this sweet rock melon yesterday, when I noticed that the skin on our hands looked really sore and chapped.
One of the mainstays of infection control is the prevention of spread of germs from patient to patient. We bleach and clean the floors and beds and cupboards, practically boil all the bedclothes in the laundry, and still it is common to find that one patient's bacteria still spreads to the rest of the ward.
The main culprits who are responsible for this heinous crime of spreading infection around are actually doctors and nurses. We handle and examine one patient and then wander around the rest of the ward touching things (and other people). Disgusting, isn't it?
Hence, handwashing is the number one method of limited the spread of infection. After any physical contact with a patient, I wash my hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.
In fact, I wash my hands so many times during the day, that occasionally after shaking hands with my friends outside work, I sometimes feel the urge to go and wash my hands. I have to stop myself from doing that, otherwise I could turn into Lady Macbeth.
The supervising doc (who is reading this over my shoulder - it's a quiet day in A&E okay?) tells me that the A&E is the only place where the men wash their hands before going to the toilet.
The problem with washing our hands with this generic handwash (no moisturising Lux soap here, girls) is that our skin gets really dry and cracked. And the open cracks in our skins are prime places for bacteria to settle.
So it's very important that MDH and I indulge ourselves with good handcream.
I've just discovered this wonderful handcream from LUSH, called 'Helping Hands'. I want to say that I purchased it for it's wonderful smell of soothing chamomile and lavender, nourishing linseed oil and honey, softening almond oil and shea butter...but really, I bought it because I liked the name (packaging is everything!!).
The product really is fantastic, and every bit worth the price I paid for it. I used it overnight and this morning, my hands weren't as sore and chapped as they normally are. They are all smooth and soft - and one of the nurses commented today how soft my hands felt (she was trying to drag me away from my patient to go and eat some lunch).
I can't wait to go home today and put some more handcream on!
One of the mainstays of infection control is the prevention of spread of germs from patient to patient. We bleach and clean the floors and beds and cupboards, practically boil all the bedclothes in the laundry, and still it is common to find that one patient's bacteria still spreads to the rest of the ward.
The main culprits who are responsible for this heinous crime of spreading infection around are actually doctors and nurses. We handle and examine one patient and then wander around the rest of the ward touching things (and other people). Disgusting, isn't it?
Hence, handwashing is the number one method of limited the spread of infection. After any physical contact with a patient, I wash my hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.
In fact, I wash my hands so many times during the day, that occasionally after shaking hands with my friends outside work, I sometimes feel the urge to go and wash my hands. I have to stop myself from doing that, otherwise I could turn into Lady Macbeth.
The supervising doc (who is reading this over my shoulder - it's a quiet day in A&E okay?) tells me that the A&E is the only place where the men wash their hands before going to the toilet.
The problem with washing our hands with this generic handwash (no moisturising Lux soap here, girls) is that our skin gets really dry and cracked. And the open cracks in our skins are prime places for bacteria to settle.
So it's very important that MDH and I indulge ourselves with good handcream.
I've just discovered this wonderful handcream from LUSH, called 'Helping Hands'. I want to say that I purchased it for it's wonderful smell of soothing chamomile and lavender, nourishing linseed oil and honey, softening almond oil and shea butter...but really, I bought it because I liked the name (packaging is everything!!).The product really is fantastic, and every bit worth the price I paid for it. I used it overnight and this morning, my hands weren't as sore and chapped as they normally are. They are all smooth and soft - and one of the nurses commented today how soft my hands felt (she was trying to drag me away from my patient to go and eat some lunch).
I can't wait to go home today and put some more handcream on!
Labels: Clinical observations
posted by tscd at 8:06 pm
4 Comments:
Sounds great! I'm in need of a good handcream myself. All that cooking, cleaning, and laundry is taking its toil on the hands too. Wonder if it's available in SG?
Sadly, I think Lush hit the SG market too early (in the early or mid-'90s, if I recall correctly). If it came now, it would certainly do well (just as The Natural Source seems to have carved out a niche for itself now).
My friend gave me some lovely Lush soap recently. I am hoarding it till I have a good moment to bust it out.
Your post made me think of the "Mama Lemon" ads --- from the '80s, was it? --- where the kid is impressed with Mama's soft hands because she uses that brand of dishwashing detergent.
Neutrogena's handcream is not bad.
julia: I think it used to be situated in Isetan at Wisma Atria but I guess it must be closed now. The La Source handcream from Crabtree and Evelyn is really good value (1 tube lasts me 3 months with twice daily use).
tym: Maybe we should use Mama Lemon as handsoap instead of this disgusting pink stuff we've got in the dispensers.
jadeite: There's still Body Shop if you like natural products! The Vitamin E handcream from Bodyshop is great.
anon: yes the Norweigan formula one is very nice but it smells of wax.
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