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Related Concept Videos

Hand hygiene01:23

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...
Handwashing I: Introduction and Types of Equipment01:18

Handwashing I: Introduction and Types of Equipment

Handwashing is hand hygiene with plain or antimicrobial soap and water to physically remove dirt, organic material, and microorganisms. However, it may not kill all microorganisms. The handwashing procedure requires a hand wash basin, liquid soap, paper towels, a domestic waste bin, and disposable nail cleaner as optional equipment.
Hand wash basins in clinical areas should have faucets that can be turned on and off without using the hands; that is, they should be non-touch or lever-operated.
Handwashing III: During the Procedure and Post-Procedure Steps01:15

Handwashing III: During the Procedure and Post-Procedure Steps

To wash hands properly, follow these steps:
Handwashing II: Pre-procedure and Initial Procedure Steps01:19

Handwashing II: Pre-procedure and Initial Procedure Steps

The pre-procedure steps of handwashing include removing jewelry and rolling up sleeves. However, many organizations allow staff to wear wedding rings.
The hand washing procedure itself includes the following steps. First, cover cuts, if any, on hands with a waterproof dressing. Cuts and abrasions can become contaminated with bacteria hindering the ability to clean the area thoroughly. In addition, repeated hand washing can worsen an injury.  The nails must be short and clean, without nail paint...
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
PPE Use in Healthcare Settings II: Doffing01:10

PPE Use in Healthcare Settings II: Doffing

The sequence of removing or doffing PPE starts with the gloves, as they are the most contaminated. Next is removal of the face shield or goggles, as they would interfere with removing other PPE. Then remove the gown, followed by the mask or respirator. Perform hand hygiene between steps if hands become contaminated and immediately after removing all PPE. Generally, the outside front and sleeves of the isolation gown, the goggles or the mask, the respirator, and the face shield are contaminated.

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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

A Method to Test the Efficacy of Handwashing for the Removal of Emerging Infectious Pathogens
09:02

A Method to Test the Efficacy of Handwashing for the Removal of Emerging Infectious Pathogens

Published on: June 7, 2017

[Hand hygiene: revolution and globalization].

Didier Pittet1

  • 1Service prévention et contrôle de l'Infection et Centre de collaboration de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé pour la sécurité des patients, HUG, 1211 Genève 14. didier.pittet@hcuge.ch

Revue Medicale Suisse
|June 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Promoting hand hygiene is crucial for preventing infections and antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings. A multimodal strategy, including system changes and education, shows encouraging results globally.

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Area of Science:

  • Infection Prevention and Control
  • Public Health
  • Healthcare Management

Context:

  • Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pose significant global health challenges.
  • Low compliance with hand hygiene protocols among healthcare staff is a persistent issue.
  • Effective strategies are needed to improve adherence to infection prevention measures.

Purpose:

  • To outline the World Health Organization's (WHO) multimodal strategy for promoting hand hygiene.
  • To highlight key components of the WHO approach, including system changes and staff education.
  • To present early findings on the effectiveness of this strategy in diverse healthcare settings.

Summary:

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates a five-component strategy to enhance hand hygiene compliance.
  • This includes adopting alcohol-based hand rubs as standard, comprehensive staff education, performance monitoring, workplace reminders, and fostering a safety climate.
  • Patient involvement is also being explored.

Impact:

  • The WHO strategy demonstrates encouraging early results in improving hand hygiene practices.
  • Successful implementation can significantly reduce healthcare-associated infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
  • The approach is adaptable to both limited- and high-resource healthcare environments.