Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene (from Greek hygieinos — healthy) is a set of preventive measures aimed at mechanically removing or chemically destructing microorganisms present on the skin of the hands.

In modern medicine, this is recognized as the simplest, most effective, and economically justified method to interrupt pathways of infectious disease transmission.

Etiology and pathophysiology

Human hand skin microflora is divided into two types:

• resident (permanent) flora — resides in the deeper layers of the epidermis and usually does not cause diseases;
• transient (temporary) flora — mainly bacteria and viruses acquired through contact with contaminated surfaces or the bodily fluids of an infected patient (these are the cause of most infections).

When washing hands with soap, the fat layer of the skin where microbes are trapped is emulsified and then washed away with water. Alcohol-based skin antiseptics act differently: they cause immediate protein denaturation (coagulation) and destruction of virion and bacterial lipid envelopes.

Strict adherence to exposure (time during which the agent must remain on the skin) is required for complete pathogen destruction:

• antiseptic — until it completely dries naturally;
• hand washing with soap — for no less than 15–20 seconds.

Clinical significance

In hospital settings, hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection control. It prevents the development of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections, which are often caused by multi-resistant bacteria.

In everyday practice, hand hygiene is critically important for preventing respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Since many viruses (norovirus, rotavirus) can remain viable on various surfaces (e.g., door handles) for prolonged periods, regular hand treatment breaks the contact transmission route, reducing the risk of disease.