Final answer:
The health-care provider should use soap and water to clean the wound, as hydrogen peroxide can inhibit healing and induce scarring. Alcohol is not recommended due to its harshness on healing tissues. Proper hand washing is crucial for preventing infection.
Step-by-step explanation:
To treat a man with a dirty cut on his hand, the health-care provider should use soap and water to clean the wound. While historically, hydrogen peroxide was used for disinfecting wounds due to its low cost, it is now known to potentially inhibit healing and promote scarring by damaging newly formed skin cells.
Antibiotics are useful for treating bacterial infections but are not typically used directly on wounds unless prescribed in a topical form after cleaning. Alcohol can be too harsh and damage the delicate healing tissues of the wound. Therefore, the recommended method is gentle cleaning with soap and water, followed by proper care and possibly an antibiotic cream as prescribed by a healthcare professional.
Proper hand washing is the single most important behavior to prevent infection, not only in healthcare settings but also in general. It involves using soap and warm running water to thoroughly clean all surfaces of the hands.