Hand hygiene is the simplest, most effective, convenient, and cost-effective measure for hospital infection control, while gloves are an important protective barrier for preventing hospital infections.

What is hand hygiene

Hand hygiene refers to the general term for hand washing, hygiene hand disinfection, and surgical hand disinfection for medical personnel.

1. Hand washing: The process by which medical personnel wash their hands with soap (liquid soap) and running water to remove dirt, debris, and some pathogenic bacteria from the skin of their hands.

2. Hygienic hand disinfection: Medical staff rub their hands with quick drying hand disinfectants to reduce the process of temporary bacterial infection in the hands.

3. Surgical hand disinfection: Before surgery, medical personnel wash their hands with soap (liquid soap) and running water, and then use hand disinfectants to remove or kill temporary bacteria in the hands and reduce the number of permanent bacteria.

Principles to be followed for hand washing and hand disinfection

① When there is visible contamination such as blood or other bodily fluids in the hands, wash hands with soap (soap solution) and running water;

② When there is no visible contamination on the hands, it is advisable to use quick drying hand disinfectants to disinfect the hands instead of washing hands.

On the premise of hand washing or hand sanitization

① When moving from contaminated areas of the same patient’s body to clean areas before and after direct contact with each patient;

② Before and after contact with the patient’s mucosa, damaged skin or wound, and after contact with the patient’s blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, and wound dressings;

③ Before and after wearing and removing isolation clothes, and after removing gloves;

④ Before conducting sterile operations, contact cleaning, and sterile items;

⑤ After contact with the patient’s surrounding environment and objects;

⑥ Before handling medication or meal preparation.

Hand washing should be done first, followed by hand hygiene and disinfection

① After contact with the patient’s blood, body fluids, secretions, and items contaminated with infectious pathogenic microorganisms;

② Directly inspect, treat, care for, or dispose of contaminated materials from infectious disease patients.

What are medical gloves

Gloves are the standard preventive equipment for medical personnel in their work. The purpose of using gloves is to avoid hand contamination by microorganisms, prevent the spread of microorganisms on the skin or hands, avoid damage from chemicals, or reduce damage from sharp objects.

Requirements for wearing gloves

① When in contact with the patient’s blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, vomit, and contaminated items, clean gloves should be worn;

② Gloves must be replaced between two patients, and hand hygiene should be carried out after changing gloves. Wearing gloves cannot replace hand hygiene.

The role and limitations of medical gloves

① Reduce the risk of cross infection between healthcare workers and patients;

② As a protective barrier when handling the patient’s blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, and incomplete skin;

③ Combining hand hygiene procedures with glove replacement to reduce the risk of transmitting pathogens from one patient to another;

④ Gloves cannot completely prevent cross infection or needle puncture injuries;

⑤ Minor defects on gloves or incorrect glove removal methods may spread pathogens.

Hand hygiene and the use of medical gloves

1. Whether gloves are needed or not, hand hygiene operations must be carried out at all appropriate times.

2. If there is a need to perform hand hygiene operations while wearing gloves, it is necessary to first remove the gloves before performing hand hygiene operations.

3. Discard used gloves after each operation and perform hand hygiene operations.

Hand hygiene is an important guarantee for medical quality and patient safety, and gloves are a two-way protection for medical staff and patients!