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FAQ

Hands

For how long should the hands be washed prior to hand disinfection?

Generally, hand washing with wash lotion has a stronger skin degreasing effect than the use of a hand disinfectant with nurturing and replenishing ingredients. Therefore washing times prior to surgical hand disinfection should not exceed 1 minute in general.
Usually the hands of OR staff are not or only little soiled. Hence, short hand washing of less than one minute is absolutely sufficient.

The RKI’s recommendations state: “Hand washing between consecutive short operations (operation + operation – break < 60 min) with low chance of contamination (intact gloves) may be omitted”. (1)

(1) Recommendation of the Robert Koch-Institute “Hand Hygiene”, Bundesgesundheitsbl Gesundheitsforsch Gesundheitsschutz 2000; 43 (3): 230-233)