New expert guidance on hand hygiene, published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, lays out the following four hand hygiene habits to avoid:
• Using hot water for hand washing, as it can irritate the skin
• Using alcohol-based hand rubs when hands are visibly soiled
• Using soaps with triclosan, as there is a lack of evidence that triclosan-containing soaps are more effective than hand sanitizers or soaps with chlorhexidine gluconate, and there are concerns with triclosan’s impact on the environment
• Using the self-report method as the primary way of measuring hand hygiene compliance
More Articles on Hand Hygiene:
10 Expert-Recommended Hand Hygiene Practices
Patients Can ‘Be The Difference’ in Hand Hygiene Efforts
