Hand Washing

CDC Guidelines
For
Effective Hand Washing
“hand washing is the single most important procedure for
preventing the spread of infection”
 Effective Hand Washing
• Turn on the water (avoid using hot water) and use a
generous amount of soap
• Lather soap and scrub palms and backs of hands for at
least 15-20 seconds
• Be sure to wash wrists, in between fingers and under
fingernails
• Rinse soap off hands
• Dry hands thoroughly with paper towel or forced warm
air
• Turn off faucet with paper towel
 Wash Your Hands
• Before eating or preparing/serving food
• After using the bathroom
• After smoking
• After playing outside
• After handling pets
• Before and after touching someone who is sick
• Before and after performing invasive procedures
• Before and after wound care
• After handling garbage, dirty equipment, dirty utensils
• After removing gloves and between patient care and before changing tasks
• After blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing, touching your hair, face,
clothing, eating
• After touching contaminated surfaces
 Waterless Hand Cleaning
• When using an alcohol-based hand rub, apply
product (3-5 mL) to palm of one hand and rub
hands together, covering all surfaces of hands
and fingers until hands are dry.
• If hands are visibly soiled, wash them with soap
and water first, dry them, then apply waterless
product as described.
 Cleaning Agents
• Use regular soap, preferably from a pump dispenser. If bar soaps are used,
they should be small and kept in a drainage rack. Antibacterial soap isn’t
necessary and may contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
• Allergic contact dermatitis due to alcohol rubs is very uncommon, but with
increasing use of such products it is likely that true allergic reactions will
occasionally be encountered.
• Alcohol-based hand rubs take less time to use than traditional hand washing.
• Antimicrobial-impregnated towelettes are not as effective as washing with
soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rubs.
• Wash hands with non-antimicrobial soap and water or with antimicrobial
soap and water if exposure to Bacillus anthracis is suspected or proven. The
physical action of washing and rinsing hands is recommended because
alcohols, chlorhexidine, iodophors and other antiseptic agents have
poor activity against spores.
Statistics for Hand Washing Efficacy
• Nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the
common cold
• One study involving Detroit school children showed that
scheduled hand washing, at least 4 times a day, can reduce
gastrointestinal illness and related absences by more than 50%
• 76 Million people get diarrhea and upset stomachs from
improper hand hygiene every year
• Diarrhea is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost
working time, with about 25 days lost from work or school each
year for every 100 Americans
• 325,000 people will be hospitalized as a result of improper hand
hygiene
• 5,000 unnecessary deaths are related to improper hand hygiene
Incentives for Hand Washing
 References
• Power Point presentation by Lydia Bartlett
• School Network for Absenteeism Prevention. (2003). Clean hand statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.itsasnap.org/snap/statistics.asp
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization.
(2004). Did you wash your hands? Retrieved October 5, 2005 from www.gov/handwashing
• Massachusetts Medical Society. (2001). Good health is in your hands. Retrieved September 16,
2005 from www.massmed.org/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1985). Guideline for handwashing and hospital
environmental control. Retrieved September 16, 2005 from www.phppo.cdc.gov
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). Guideline for hand hygiene in healthcare
settings. Retrieved September 16, 2005 from www.cdc.gov
• Barrs, A. (n.d.). Handwashing: Breaking the chain of infection. Retrieved October 6, 2005 from
www.infectioncontroltoday.com
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (2002). Handwashing fact sheet-English. Retrieved
October 6, 2005 from www.mass.gov.dph/cdc/handwashing
• Centers for Disease Control. (2002). An ounce of prevention keeps the germs away. Retrieved
September 16, 2005 from www.cdc.gov/ncidod/op/handwashing.htm
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (2004). Public health information sheet: Hand
hygiene. Retrieved October 6, 2005 from www.state.ma.us/dph