Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene is one of the most important elements of infection control. The aim of hand washing is to remove transient micro-organisms, acquired through everyday tasks in the laboratory/ clinical setting, from the surface of the hands.

Good hand hygiene protects both patients and staff.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on “Hand Hygiene in Healthcare” describe five key situations where hand washing is required:

• Before touching a patient
• Before a clean or aseptic procedure
• After body fluid exposure/risk
• After touching a patient
• After touching patient surroundings

Hand hygiene includes hand washing using soaps or hand rubbing with 70% alcohol-based formulations.

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Important Considerations for Hand Hygiene

• Perform hand washing with soap and water if hands are visibly soiled and after using the restroom.
• Availability of running water supply is important for hand washing.
• If resources permit, perform hand rubbing with an alcohol-based preparation.
• Ensure availability of hand hygiene products (clean water, soap, single-use clean towels, alcohol-based hand rub).
• Alcohol-based hand rubs should ideally be available at the point of care.

Technique of Hand Hygiene (Figure)

• Handwashing (40–60 sec): Wet hands and apply soap; rub all surfaces; rinse hands and dry thoroughly with a single-use towel.
• Hand rubbing (20–30 sec): Apply enough product to cover all areas of the hands; rub hands until dry

Figure: Handwashing Technique; Source: WHO Handwashing Poster

Resources

1. Guidelines on Airborne Infection Control in Healthcare and Other Settings.
2. Health-care facility recommendations for standard precaution.
3. WHO Handwashing Poster.