Hand Hygiene
The Infection Control Today® hand hygiene page examines the practice of hand hygiene, from the proper methods to adherence among hospital staff. Will greater recognition of hand hygiene’s importance in curbing the spread of infections translate into better adherence among hospital staff and the public? This page features videos that demonstrate exactly how to conduct hand hygiene properly, articles recapping peer-reviewed literature on the latest advances in monitoring and adherence, as well as the popular "Bug of the Month" feature.
Latest News
March 21st 2025
Veterinary infection control experts Leslie Kollmann, BS, AAS, CVT, CIC, Denise Waiting, LVT, and Leslie Landis, LVT, BS, discuss challenges, zoonotic disease risks, and the importance of education, collaboration, and resource development in animal care facilities.
More News
Healthcare Worker Hand Size Can Impact Bacterial Load, Product Effectiveness
February 5th 2016Researchers are advising healthcare professionals to consider the size of their hands when it comes to using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, to ensure adequate coverage by the product. In their study of whether the volume of alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) used by healthcare workers affects the residual bacterial concentration on their hands according to hand size, Bellissimo-Rodrigues and colleagues (2015) found that bacterial reduction was significantly lower for large hands compared with small hands, which suggests a need for customizing the volume of alcohol-based handrub for the most effective hand hygiene. It's an aspect of hand hygiene that many individuals may not have considered until now, according to study co-author Didier Pittet, MD, MS, of the University of Geneva Hospitals and faculty of medicine in Geneva, Switzerland; who says that this is a new topic that has not been fully explored by research.
