Hand hygiene is the first line of defense and hand washing is generally considered the single most important procedure for preventing the spread of hospital-acquired infection. Hand washing is to be used in conjunction with Standard Precautions.
Proper hand-washing techniques:
- Wet hands with warm running water.
- Apply enough soap to cover all surfaces.
- Thoroughly wash all parts of hands and fingers up to the wrists, rubbing hands together for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse hands under running water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Use paper towels to turn off the faucet before discarding the towels in the waste receptacle.
