Hand washing and hand hygiene in medical practice and day to day life

Abstract

Hand washing and hand hygiene are very important things to remember in the hospital practice as well as daily life. Hand hygiene can be performed by soap or hand sanitizer. Hand hygiene can lead to drastic reduction in transmission of infections and also drug resistant bugs, and is thus also a good way to combat AMR or antimicrobial resistance in the community as well as in hospital setting. Hand hygiene can be maintained by hand washing or hand scrubbing, and both these things are important, depending on the hospital setting. Hand wash can be social, surgical and antiseptic. Hand hygiene can also be made more popular in the masses by a number of methods and educational activities. Compliance to hand hygiene among people is not always very great, even among the healthcare providers, and this should be a matter of concern. Hence hand hygiene assumes some importance, and is now considered a "do-it yourself vaccine". This topic is discussed less but is very important.