CDC Hand Hygiene Technique Quiz

Hand Hygiene Technique

• Wash hands with clean water and apply soap
• Rub hands together and scrub well, especially:
  • Between the fingers
  • Around fingernails
  • Back of the thumb
• Dry hands using a clean towel or air dry

Surgical Hand Antisepsis

• Done by using either:
  • Meningitidis Single dose
  • Influenza vaccine (annually for clinical and reception staff)
  • MMR vaccine (2 doses, 4 weeks apart, for those with no previous MMR vaccine or immunity)

Hand Washing Techniques

• There are 3 techniques for hand washing, arranged from good to best:
  • Normal Handwashing (plain soap + water): removes soil and dirt
  • Antiseptic Handwashing (antiseptic soap + water): removes soil, dirt, and transient microorganisms
  • Alcohol-based Handrub (alcohol-based preparations): removes transient microorganisms

Significance of Hand Hygiene

• Microorganisms colonize top layers of the skin due to direct contact
• Lapses in hand hygiene have resulted in:
  • Disease outbreaks
  • Hospital-associated infections (HAIs)
  • Presence of antibiotic-resistant infections
• Microorganisms can be removed by routinely handwashing

Alcohol-based Handrubs

• Indications:
  • No visible soil on the hand
  • Inability to wash hands
• Advantages:
  • Quick, easy, and contain emollient to prevent skin dryness
  • Rapid action against wide species, including MRSA
• Disadvantages:
  • Alcohol evaporates rapidly (gel should be added)
  • Excess emollient may contaminate surfaces with a greasy layer

CDC Recommendations

• If hands are dirty/with blood/saliva, use Normal/Antiseptic handwash
• If hands are not visibly soiled, use Alcohol-based Hand-rubbing

Indications for Hand Hygiene

• When hands are visibly soiled
• Touching of inanimate objects contaminated by blood or saliva
• Before and after treating each patient
• Before donning gloves
• Immediately after removing gloves

Modes of Transmission

• Airborne (Inhalational): small in size, travel large distance
  • Examples: Influenza, Measles, SARS, TB, chickenpox
  • Precautions: Respiratory masks, eye protection, -ve pressure rooms
• Airborne contact (Aerosolization): may be from spray of handpiece, mists, ultrasonic scaler
• Droplet: larger than airborne, transmitted through direct cough
  • Examples: Pertussis, influenza, meningitis
  • Precautions: Same as airborne
• Chain of Infection: 6 elements
  • Infectious agent → Pathogen
  • Reservoir → Place for bacteria to live
  • Portal of Exit → Way to escape
  • Mode of transmission → Way it is transmitted to another reservoir
  • Portal of entry → To another reservoir
  • Susceptible host → Someone with low immunity