CDC issues new hand hygiene guideline

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http://www.ada.org/prof/pubs/daily/0211/1127cdc.html

CDC issues new hand hygiene guideline

By Mark Berthold

Atlanta — To improve adherence to hand hygiene in health care settings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new Hand Hygiene Guideline for all health care personnel.

In addition, the CDC and American Dental Association in 2003 will be issuing revised recommendations for infection control in the dental office.

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According to the CDC, using gloves in health care settings will reduce hand- and cross-contamination by only 70 to 80 percent — which does not eliminate the need for hand hygiene.

In addition to regular handwashing with soap and water, the CDC also recommends the use of alcohol-based handrubs. This recommendation was made to address obstacles to frequent handwashing in health care settings. They are fast acting, and skin irritation or allergic contact dermatitis due to alcohol handrubs is very uncommon.

"Clean hands are the single most important factor in preventing the spread of dangerous germs and antibiotic resistance in health care settings," says Julie Gerberding, M.D., director of the CDC.

The complete CDC Hand Hygiene Guideline is available online or by calling 1-404-639-3286.

Document address: http://www.ada.org/prof/pubs/daily/0211/1127cdc.html

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