--- title: "Book Review: Clean Hands Save Lives" description: "Book Review: Clean Hands Save Lives" --- - **[SEARCH](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/search-0)** ** - **[CONTACT US](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/contact-us)** - **SDS** - [**Companion Animal**](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/companion-animal-msds) - [**Farm Animal**](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/farm-animal-msds) ## Something Powerful # Resources     ## Book Review: Clean Hands Save Lives Summer is generally time for a little rest, relaxation and catching up on the book list we have compiled throughout the year.  As we have done for the last several years, during the summer months we review a couple books that we think are worth reading....or at least thinking about reading.  For those of you who attended APIC and waited patiently in line for a signed copy of this book by none other than Didier Pittet, you may already have it finished.  For those of you who did not attend APIC or who may have brought it home but have not yet cracked the spine, I hope this book review entices you to include it as one of your summer must reads! Clean Hands Save Lives was written by Thierry Crouzet and explores the life work and role that Didier Pittet has played in advancing how hospitals think about hand hygiene in his attempt to follow his dream of saving lives through clean hands.  A storyteller, Crouzet takes us on a ride through Pittet's childhood as a boy scout, soccer and hockey team captain, and party organizer in medical school.  As the story unfolds we are introduced to a doctor who through observation of nursing and other staff going about their daily duties begins to understand how infections are transmitted. Therein lies Pittet's breakthrough thought; "instead of striving to kill microbes in wounds, wouldn't it be more reasonable not to put them there in the first place?" As readers we are invited to follow the story of how Pittet carries people along with him in his question of "Clean Hands to Save Lives", first at his own hospital where he saw firsthand that improved hand hygiene compliance lead to decreases in HAI rates and his eventual success of carrying this message around the globe. However, as Pittet learned, success is not simple or immediate.  As he came to learn, one should not impose their ideas on others, but educate and incite to gain their interest and agreement. Crouzet captures not only the successes, but balances the book by including the roadblocks that Pittet encountered along his journey and how Pittet looked to the learn from the father of hand hygiene, Ignaz Semmelweiss, so that he may avoid the perils and pitfalls Semmelweiss encountered in his attempt to bring hand hygiene main stream. Pittet instead chose to offer alcohol solutions to hospital employees, educate on their benefits and provided supporting evidence to prove that they could be used successfully to improve infection rates. In fact, in the first three years of his program, consumption of alcohol hand products increased by 5-fold while HAIs were reduced by 50%! Pittet's passion is hand hygiene and he drew on the experience of Semmelweiss to better understand how to develop a hand hygiene program and gain buy in.  Perhaps after reading the book you may draw upon Pittet's experience of implementing a hand hygiene program to either improve upon the program at your facility or develop a program based around your passion whatever that may be! *Bugging Off! * Nicole   ## Search All Resources ## Browse by Category - MSDS/SDS - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/companion-animal-msds) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/farm-animal-msds) - [Protocols & Procedures](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/protocols-and-procedures-companion-animal) - • Farm Animal → [CDN](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/farm-animal-canada) | [USA](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/protocols-and-procedures-farm-animal) - [Technical Bulletins](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/techncial-bulletins-companion-animal) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/technical-bulletins-farm-animal) - [Pathogen Fact Sheets](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/pathogen-fact-sheets) - [Industry Guidelines](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/industry-guidelines) - [Industry Publications](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/industry-publications-companion-animal) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/industry-publications-farm-animal) - [Product Use Information](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/product-use-information-companion-animal) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/product-use-information-farm-animal) - [Reference Sheets](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/reference-sheets-companion-animal) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/reference-sheets-farm-animal) - [AHP® Abstracts & Research Posters](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/ahp-abstracts-research-posters-companion-animal) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/ahp-abstracts-research-posters-farm-animal) - [AHP® Peer Reviewed Articles](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/book-review-clean-hands-save-lives.html#) - [• Companion Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/ahp-peer-reviewed-articles-companion-animal) - [• Farm Animal →](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/ahp-peer-reviewed-articles-farm-animal) - [AHP® vs Competitive Chemistries ](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/topic/ahp-vs-competitive-chemistries) - [ AHP® Compatibility ](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/ahp-compatibility) - [ Testimonials ](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/testimonials) - [ Videos ](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/videos) - [ Fear Free](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/fear-free-and-ahp) - [ Blog](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/blog)       [![BottomLogoGrey-VAH](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ViroxAnimalHealth/Logos/BottomLogoGrey-VAH.jpg?width=100&name=BottomLogoGrey-VAH.jpg "BottomLogoGrey-VAH")](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/) [CONTACT US](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/contact-us)  |  [PRIVACY POLICY](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/privacy-policy)  |  [TERMS OF USE](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/terms-of-use) [** ** (open in a new window)](https://www.youtube.com/user/ViroxAHP) [** ** (open in a new window)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/virox-animal-health) [** ** (open in a new window)](https://twitter.com/AHPbiosecurity) [** ** (open in a new window)](https://www.facebook.com/ViroxAnimalHealth/)   © 2003-2022 VIROX TECHNOLOGIES INC [Virox® Animal Health is a division of Virox® Technologies Inc.](http://www.virox.com/) Website by [BOLD](http://www.boldinternet.com/) AHP® and Design and Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide® and Design are trademarks of Diversey, Inc.