Hand Hygiene

Washing your hands is key in preventing the spread of infection. Not only is hand hygiene important for doctors and nurses, but also for patients, visitors and family members. It is essential for anyone who may come in contact with a patient to wash their hands before and after touching the patient.

It's okay to ask the doctor or nurse if they've washed their hands - they want to prevent the spread of infection just as much as the patient. Clean hands save lives. To learn more, watch the video below.

The hand hygiene guidelines were developed by the CDC's Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), in collaboration with the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).