Editing Infection Control and Safety – LPN Flashcards (section)

== Hand Hygiene ==

;When should hand hygiene be performed?
:Before touching a client, before a clean or sterile task, after any exposure to body fluids, after touching a client, after touching the client's surroundings, '''before putting on gloves and right after taking them off''', before handling medications or food, and after using the restroom.
;When must soap and water be used instead of alcohol-based hand rub?
:When the hands are '''visibly soiled''', after caring for a client with '''''Clostridioides difficile'' or norovirus''', after using the restroom, and before eating. Alcohol does '''not''' kill spores.
;How long should hands be scrubbed with soap and water, and how is the alcohol rub used?
:Lather all surfaces for '''at least 20 seconds''', rinse with fingertips pointing down, dry with a paper towel, and use the towel to turn off the faucet. For alcohol rub, apply enough to cover all surfaces and '''rub until completely dry''', roughly 20 to 30 seconds. Do not fan or wipe hands dry.
;Do gloves replace hand hygiene?
:'''No.''' Gloves can have unseen defects and hands become contaminated during removal. Perform hand hygiene before donning and immediately after removing gloves, and change gloves between clients and between a dirty and a clean site on the same client.