Hand Hygiene: When and How to Wash Your Hands

Ms. Sonam Chhipane
September 16, 2020
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“WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN TO STAY HEALTHY”

You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

Before, during, and after preparing food
Before eating food
Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
Before and after treating a cut or wound
After using the toilet
After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
After handling pet food or pet treats
After touching garbage

As per the WHO Thousands of people die every day around the world from infections acquired while receiving health care. Hands are the main pathways of germ transmission during health care. Hand hygiene is therefore the most important measure to avoid the transmission of harmful germs and prevent health care-associated infections.

STEPS TO WASH YOUR HANDS IN RIGHT WAY

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

HAND CARE

Take care of your hands by regularly using a protective hand cream or lotion, at least daily.
Do not routinely wash hands with soap and water immediately before or after using an alcohol-based hand rub.
Do not use hot water to rinse your hands.
After hand rubbing or hand washing, let your hands dry completely before putting on gloves.

Please Remember

Do not wear artificial fingernails or extenders when in direct contact with patients.
Keep natural nails short.

USE HAND SANITIZER WHEN YOU CAN’T USE SOAP AND WATER

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.

Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations. However,

Sanitizers do notget rid of all types of germs.
Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.

HOW TO USE HAND SANITIZER

Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
Rub your hands together.
Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

PROCEDURE OF HAND RUBBING AS PER THE WHO

HAND HYGIENE AND MEDICAL GLOVE USE

The use of gloves does not replace the need for cleaning your hands.
Hand hygiene must be performed when appropriate regardless of the indications for glove use.
Remove gloves to perform hand hygiene, when an indication occurs while wearing gloves.
Discard gloves after each task and clean your hands – gloves may carry germs.
Wear gloves only when indicated according to Standard and Contact Precautions otherwise they become a major risk for germ transmission.

Submitted By

Ms. Sonam Chhipane

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy ,Kalinga University

Email Id : sonam.chhipane@kalingauniversity.ac.in

Reference/Citation