PDI's Sani-Hands Instant Hand Sanitizing Wipes now in a new 70% ethyl alcohol formulation, making it the only FDA-approved 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizing wipe available in US

Nevin Barich

ORANGEBURG, New York , June 19, 2014 (press release) – New 70% Alcohol-Based Formulation and Educational Resources Target Healthcare Staff, Visitors and Patients

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes that hand hygiene is the single most important intervention that helps prevent the spread of infection.[1]PDI, leader in the continual development of hand hygiene and infection prevention products and solutions, announced the launch of new comprehensive educational resources and product enhancements for its Sani-Hands® Instant Hand Sanitizing Wipes, the No. 1 hand sanitizing wipe in healthcare.[2] The innovations will provide consistent education for healthcare staff, patients and visitors as well as increase the convenience of hand hygiene options.

Education Helps Facilities Make the Hand Hygiene and Patient Satisfaction Connection

The recently released Patient Hand Hygiene Education Video is intended to help Sani-Hands® customers educate patients about proper hand hygiene. The video uses quick and easy-to-understand narration and graphics to explain how, when, and why a patient should clean their hands throughout their healthcare experience. It also empowers the patient to speak up regarding their care and explains their role as a partner in helping to prevent infections. The video is available in multiple formats and compatible with most in-house communication systems. To download or request a copy of the video for use in your facility, please log on to www.pdihc.com/patientvideo or contact your local PDI Territory Sales Manager.

"Patient hand hygiene is extremely important and often overlooked as an opportunity for meaningful engagement in infection prevention for all hospitalized patients – particularly those who are bedbound," said John Dabney, Associate Product Manager, PDI. "We at PDI believe that we must establish a dialogue to help patients understand provider's responsibility as well as their own. This can help positively impact both outcomes and the bottom line."

Positive engagement and communication with patients can directly impact a patient's experience with a hospital stay, a key element of the Hospital Consumer Assessment Health Plans Survey (HCAHPS). Scores from these surveys determine whether a hospital will receive 1-2 percent of Medicare reimbursement each year. To understand additional strategies to improve HCAHPS scores visit PDI's website for its Infection Prevention Educational Resources.

Product Innovation Continues to Meet Customer Needs

As part of the PDI infection prevention commitment, the company introduced Sani-Hands in a new 70% ethyl alcohol formulation, making it the only FDA-approved 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizing wipe available in the U.S. market. This includes Sani-Hands individual packets (re-order #D43600) and canister products (reorder numbers P13472 and P15984). The new 70% formulation meets the stringent evidence-based guidelines from both the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) for hand hygiene in the healthcare settings. Both CDC and WHO recommend the use of a high alcohol-based hand sanitizer with an alcohol concentration between 60-90% when hands are not visibly soiled.[3],[4] In addition, Sani-Hands Individual Hand Sanitizing Wipes (re-order # D43600B) are now provided in a 2000-count bulk package to encourage point of use dispensing.

"Our goal is to make effective hand hygiene products that are easily accessible to everyone in a healthcare facility. This includes staff, patients and visitors. This new bulk delivery format will allow for easy storage and access to individual alcohol-based hand sanitizing wipes for placement on dietary trays and in procedural kits," said John Dabney, Associate Product Manager, PDI.

About PDI

PDI helps reduce preventable infections, control healthcare costs, and ultimately help save lives by delivering a broad range of evidence-based, market leading environmental hygiene and patient care solutions. PDI's expertise in making a difference in the community and healthcare environments extends throughout the United States and worldwide. www.pdihc.com

[1] Electronically accessed from www.cdc.gov/hai, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 17, 2014

[2] GHX Market Intelligence 2012.

[3]Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, 2002.

[4] WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care, 2009.

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