How to protect hands against infection?
- Clean your hands by rubbing them one another with a lotion containing alcohol, which is deemed to be the favorable way for cleaning hands on a regular basis in case they are not overtly unclean. It is more effective, and more endurable by the hands than water and soap.
- Wash your hands with water and soap whenever they are overtly contaminated with blood or other body secretions, and after toilet.
How to rub your hands?
How to wash hands?
Before touching the patient:
Why?
To protect the patient from topical infections, and some cases from external infections, caused by the harmful microbes on your hands.
When?
Clean your hands before touching a patient or getting close to him/ her.
Before cleaning or cleansing:
Why?
To protect the patient from the transmission of harmful microbes to him/ her.
When?
Clean your hands immediately before touching any critical spot that might expose the patient to risk of infection, such as Mucous membranes, damaged skin, or the skin-penetrating medical devices.
After being exposed to the patient fluids:
Why?
To protect yourself against topical infection with the patient's harmful microbes, as well as protecting the healthcare environment form the diffusion of such microbes.
When?
Clean your hands once you are done with any medical action that exposes you to the patient's body fluids (and after taking the gloves off).
After touching the patient's belongings and surroundings:
Why?
To protect yourself from topical infection with the patient's microbes that might exist in the patient's belongings and surroundings, as well as to protect the health care environment from the diffusion of such microbes.
When?
Clean your hands when leaving the patient room, and after touching him and/or his surroundings.
After touching the patient's belongings and surroundings:L
Why?
To protect yourself from the transmission of the patient's microbes that might exist in the patient's belongings and surroundings, as well as to protect the health care environment from the diffusion of such microbes.
When?
Clean your hands when touching anything (furniture, etc.) when leaving the patient room, or when touching any of the patient's belongings and surroundings.