Hospital Infections Control - practical - Surgical Hand rubbing Technique

Surgical Handrubbing
Technique
Handwash with soap and water on arrival to OR,
after having donned theatre clothing (cap/hat/bonnet and mask).
Use an alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) product for surgical hand
preparation, by carefully following the technique illustrated in
Images 1 to 17, before every surgical procedure.
If any residual talc or biological fluids are present when gloves are
removed following the operation, handwash with soap and water.
Put approximately 5ml
(3 doses) of ABHR in the
palm of your left hand, using
the elbow of your other arm
to operate the dispenser.
Dip the fingertips of your
right hand in the handrub to
decontaminate under the
nails (5 seconds).
Images 3-7: Smear the handrub on the right forearm up to the elbow. Ensure that the whole skin area is covered by using circular movements around the forearm until
the handrub has fully evaporated (10-15 seconds).
Put approximately 5ml
(3 doses) of ABHR in the palm
of your left hand as illustrated,
to rub both hands at the same
time up to the wrists, following
all steps in images 12-17
(20-30 seconds).
Cover the whole surface of
the hands up to the wrist
with ABHR, rubbing palm
against palm with a
rotating movement.
Images 8-10: Now repeat steps 1-7 for the left hand and forearm.
Rub the thumb of the left
hand by rotating it in the
clasped palm of the right
hand and vice versa.
When the hands are dry,
sterile surgical clothing and
gloves can be donned.
Rub palm against palm
back and forth with fingers
interlinked.
Rub the back of the left
hand, including the wrist,
moving the right palm back
and forth, and vice-versa.
Rub the back of the fingers
by holding them in the palm
of the other hand with a
sideways back and forth
movement.
1 2
3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17
Repeat this sequence (average 60 sec) the number of times that adds up to the total duration recommended by the ABHR manufacturer s instructions.
This could be two or even three times.