Handwashing
Cleansing the hands to remove pathogens — the single most effective infection-control measure.
Handwashing is cleansing the hands to remove pathogens and is the single most effective measure for preventing the spread of infection. Perform hand hygiene before and after every client contact, before invasive procedures, and after glove removal, since gloves are not a substitute for clean hands. Use soap and water rather than alcohol-based gel when hands are visibly soiled and for spore-forming organisms such as C. difficile, because alcohol does not kill those spores.
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