ABSTRACT
Synopsis: This guideline provides speciŸc recommendations to promote improved hand hygiene in health care settings. It provides detailed background information on hand sepsis and its relation to the incidence of health care-associated infections. It describes methods used to evaluate the efŸcacy of various hand hygiene products and disinfectants, and identiŸes the log reduction rates that can be achieved with various products such as soaps, alcohols, chlorhexidine, chloroxylenol, hexachlorophene, iodine, quaternary ammonium compounds, triclosan, and other agents. Protocols for applying these products are reviewed and their effectiveness against individual species are discussed. The resistance of bacteria to certain antiseptic agents is discussed. The problem of nonadherence to procedures is discussed along with recommendations to promote improved hand hygiene. Gloving policies and their effectiveness are also addressed. Recommendations are
provided for improving hand hygiene practices and are classiŸed in categories, from those that are strongly recommended to those that are suggested for implementation.
