Should the fist bump replace handshakes in hospitals and other healthcare settings? An editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests banning the handshake could go a long way toward containing and controlling hospital-acquired infections that kill thousands of Americans every year.
The editorial recommends “infection-conscious alternatives,” such as the fist bump, hand wave, bow, or even a hands-together Namaste greeting, NBC News reports.
Despite the use of liquid hand sanitizer and admonishments that hand washing can prevent the spread of infections, many healthcare workers do not fastidiously keep their hands clean, surveys show. Rates for hand washing for doctors, nurses and volunteers hover around 40 percent.
That’s a key reason infections spread easily among patients, with doctors and relatives moving between patient rooms, waiting rooms, and bathrooms.
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