Acrylic Nails And Infection Control

The hard gel and the soft gel.

Acrylic nails and infection control. Two different case reports confirm this. Cultures were obtained before and after handwashing from the fingertips of 56 nurses with artificial nails and 56 nurses with natural nails. There is debate whether artificial nails are putting patients at risk of nosocomial infections.

According to this study any evidence that nail polish or fake nails leads to increased infection risk is inconclusive. Hewlett MD MS a b Heather Hohenberger MSN RN c Caitlin N. In commercial settings such as nail salons External sterilize nail grooming tools before use.

Scrub the underside of nails with soap and water or a nail brush every time you wash your hands. Remember all chemicals if not handled correctly can pose a health risk. Conclusive evidence is needed.

7A Comply with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC hand hygiene guidelines. Health-care professionals must be willing to make changes in their habits to meet the demands of infection control. Risks of infection in healthcare settings due to artificial nails In health care it is often discussed whether artificial or polished nails are a threat to hygienic.

Murphy PhD d Lindsay Helget. NURSES ARTIFICIAL NAILS 4 Immaculate Hospital librarian due to a purchase disclosure. Two studies add to the evidence that health care personnel who wear artificial acrylic fingernails to work may jeopardize patient safety.

Nonetheless most hospital policy operates similarly. In both studies nail surfaces were swabbed and subungual debris was collected to obtain material for culture. Although health care workers are following fashion trends when they wear artificial nails the implications of these nails for infection control is unknown.