Global Hand Washing Day - October 15: Know How to Wash Your Hands

October 15, 20100 comments



Indications for hand hygiene:
A. Wash hands with soap and water when visibly dirty or visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids or after using the toilet.


B. If exposure to potential spore-forming pathogens is strongly suspected or proven, including outbreaks of Clostridium difficile, hand washing with soap and water is the preferred means.


C. Use an alcohol-based handrub as the preferred means for routine hand antisepsis in all other clinical situations described in items D(a) to D(f) listed below if hands are not visibly soiled. If alcohol-based handrub is not obtainable, wash hands with soap and water.

D. Perform hand hygiene: a) before and after touching the patient. b) before handling an invasive device for patient care, regardless of whether or not gloves are used. c) after contact with body fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or wound dressings. d) if moving from a contaminated body site to another body site during care of the same patient. e) after contact with inanimate surfaces and objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient. f) after removing sterile or non-sterile gloves.

E. Before handling medication or preparing food perform hand hygiene using an alcohol-based handrub or wash hands with either plain or antimicrobial soap and water.

F. Soap and alcohol-based handrub should not be used concomitantly.

Hygienic Hand Washing:




Alcohol based handrubs with optimal antimicrobial efficacy usually contain 75 t0 85% ethanol, isopropanol, or n-propanol, or a combination of these products. The WHO recommends formulations contain either 75% v/v isopropanol, or 80% v/v ethanol. (Note: Alcohol based formulations are ineffective against spore forms of bacteria e.g., Clostridium difficile)

All health care workers are advised to print it and paste it nearby the washbasin in your health care setting.
(Click on the images to get a printable version)



Hand washing is the primary measure proven to be effective in preventing common communicable diseases, hospital acquired infections (Nosocomial infections or Health Care Associated Infections) and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.



This procedure is recommended for all food handlers, including individual, commercial & industrial to avoid food-borne infections. If alcohol based formulation is not available to health care worker, they can also adopt this technique.

Surgical Hand Washing:






Source: World Health Organization(WHO)
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