# Hand Hygiene

## Overview

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) during procedures includes the safe management of ‘sharps’, encompasses high-level measures such as health facility design and management, protocol-based measures such as adherence to national and facility level guidelines, and individual actions by each health care provider and ancillary staff member. The health care provider is encouraged to familiarise themselves with their facility’s specific IPC protocols and reporting systems, which is outside the scope of this module.

All clinical procedures pursue the IPC goal of asepsis. The traditional hierarchy of sterile, aseptic, and clean is outdated, poorly-defined and misleading, and is no longer recommended. This module describes how to perform hand washing and hand rubbing. See Scrubbing & Gowning for surgical hand hygiene. Avoid wearing rings at work, false/gel nails, long nails, or nail polish, and protect your skin from local damage.

## Indications

The World Health Organisation recommends five moments of hand hygiene:

Hand washing with soap and water is preferred:

Hand rubbing with alcohol-based hand rub is preferred:

## Hand rub 30sec

## Hand wash 60sec

## Troubleshooting

I cut my finger and now the hand rub burns.

Use a waterproof dressing such as Opsite or Tegaderm, which is washable and will keep your cut covered.

My hands are developing a rash.

Irritant contact dermatitis is common among healthcare workers, especially in winter when skin is naturally dry.

## References