Guideline for hand hygiene in health-care settings

• DOI: 10.1067/mic.2002.130391
• Publication Date: 2002-12-28T16:41:47Z
• Authors: John M. Boyce; Didier Pittet
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Hexachlorophene; Xylenes; Hexachlorophene/therapeutic use; Dermatitis, Contact; Infections; Soaps; 03 medical and health sciences; Iodophors; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/616; Skin Physiological Phenomena; Humans; Infection/transmission; Handwashing/ standards; Handwashing/standards; Alcohols/therapeutic use; Skin; ddc:616; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/therapeutic use; Infection Control; Chlorhexidine; Skin/microbiology; Hygiene; Hand; Triclosan; 3. Good health; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Anti-Infective Agents, Local/ therapeutic use; Alcohols; Chlorhexidine/therapeutic use; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Infection Control/ standards; Hand Disinfection; Iodine

SummaryThe Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings provides health-care workers (HCWs) with a review of data regarding handwashing and hand antisepsis in health-care settings. In addition, it provides specific recommendations to promote improved hand-hygiene practices and reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients and personnel in health-care settings. This report reviews studies published since the 1985 CDC guideline (Garner JS, Favero MS. CDC guideline for handwashing and hospital environmental control, 1985.Infect Control1986;7:231-43) and the 1995 APIC guideline (Larson EL, APIC Guidelines Committee. APIC guideline for handwashing and hand antisepsis in health care settings.Am J Infect Control1995;23:251-69) were issued and provides an in-depth review of hand-hygiene practices of HCWs, levels of adherence of personnel to recommended handwashing practices, and factors adversely affecting adherence. New studies of the in vivo efficacy of alcohol-based hand rubs and the low incidence of dermatitis associated with their use are reviewed. Recent studies demonstrating the value of multidisciplinary hand-hygiene promotion programs and the potential role of alcohol-based hand rubs in improving hand-hygiene practices are summarized. Recommendations concerning related issues (e.g., the use of surgical hand antiseptics, hand lotions or creams, and wearing of artificial fingernails) are also included.