Surgical hand washing time
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5 steps of hand washing.
What You Should Know about Hand Hygiene
Author: L. Clifford McDonald
Associate Director for Science, CDC Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
The science is clear: clean hands can protect patients and healthcare providers from dangerous and deadly infections.
Benefits of hand washing
Yet, studies show that on average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should.1
CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion often receives inquiries from healthcare providers and staff asking for clarification on CDC recommendations and guidelines, including hand hygiene in healthcare facilities.
The following are a few of the most commonly asked questions on hand hygiene.
- What is the preferred method for healthcare providers to clean their hands – soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer?
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the preferred method (see exceptions for C.difficile
in next question). Compared to soap and water, alcohol-based sanitizers are more effective and less drying to the hands than frequent use of soap and water. To learn more, check out CDC’s Sh- how long should we wash hands for
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