Hand Washing

Standard Hand Washing Procedure According to OSHA standards regarding blood borne pathogens, hand washing should be performed, at a minimum: Before and after every patient contact After removing gloves and other protective wear After handling blood or other body fluids When visibly contaminated with blood or tissues Before leaving the patient area Before and after eating, applying makeup, using the bathroom, handling contact lenses, handling equipment

Importance of Hand Washing to Reduce Nosocomial Infections Reduces spread of disease from patient to patient Reduces spread of disease from patient to health care professional Reduces spread of disease form health care professional to patient Reduces spread of diseases from health care professional to other health care professionals Reduce the spread of disease to visitors in health care facility

Proper Hand Washing Technique Soap aids in the removal of pathogens Warm water Friction All surfaces of hand must must be cleaned: palms, backs, between the fingers Nails must be cleaned Fingertips pointed downwards to prevent water from getting on forearms and then running back down on the hands recontaminating them Dry paper towels used to turn on and off the faucet prevents contamination f hands from organisms on the faucet

Cleaning Hands with Waterless Hand Sanitizer

Benefits of Hand Sanitizer Washing Requires less time than hand washing Acts quickly to kill microorganisms on hands Are more accessible than sinks Reduce bacterial counts on hands Do not promote antimicrobial resistance Are less irritating to skin than soap and water Some can even improve the condition of skin

Four Steps of Washing with Hand Sanitizer Make sure all organic matter is removed from hands; visible organic matter (such as dirt) must be removed prior to washing with hand sanitizer Apply a dime size amount of sanitizer to the palm of one hand or use a sanitizer wipe Rub hands covering all surfaces of hands and fingers Rub until hand sanitizer is absorbed