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2 votes
When performing hand hygiene, when is necessary to use soap and water instead of hand rub?

A) Always
B) When hands are visibly soiled
C) Never
D) Only during surgery

User Mattz
by
8.8k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Soap and water should be used for hand hygiene when hands are visibly soiled, according to option B. This is part of the CDC guidelines for proper handwashing and is especially important for health-care workers and surgical procedures.

Step-by-step explanation:

When performing hand hygiene, it is necessary to use soap and water instead of hand rub when hands are visibly soiled. This scenario corresponds to option B) When hands are visibly soiled.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend proper handwashing techniques for the general public, which includes using clean, running water and soap to thoroughly wash hands. In particular, health-care workers must wash their hands between every patient contact, following the removal of gloves, and after exposure to bodily fluids or potentially infectious materials.

For a surgical environment, the guidelines are even stricter. Surgical scrubbing requires more extensive cleaning, which includes starting from the fingertips and moving towards the hands, forearms, and up beyond the elbows to decrease the normal microbiota on the skin and prevent microbial introduction into surgical wounds.

User Gukoff
by
8.5k points
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