Update on hand hygiene
Proper hand hygiene is critical to providing safe perioperative care. An important part of proper hand hygiene is selecting hand hygiene products for surgical antisepsis that meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory requirements.
Understanding the complexities involved in the FDA's regulatory process for approving drugs such as those used for surgical hand antisepsis can be confusing for those who don't normally deal with regulatory compliance, said Ramona Conner, RN, MSN, CNOR, AORN's manager of standards and recommended practices. She advised that those involved in selecting hand antiseptic products should confirm with the manufactures that the product has met FDA regulatory requirements.
"Members of any healthcare facility's multidisciplinary team tasked with selecting products for the perioperative setting need to focus on selecting antimicrobial products that provide the recommended characteristics for a safe and effective surgical hand scrub product," Conner explained.
AORN's latest version of the Recommended Practices for Hand Hygiene in the Perioperative Setting, 2009, provides guidance for selecting hand scrub antiseptic products. Recommendation IV.b.1 states, "Antimicrobial surgical hand hygiene products should:
- Significantly reduce microorganisms on intact skin,
- Contain emollients and humectants to prevent skin irritation,
- Be broad spectrum,
- Be fast-acting and
- Have a persistent and cumulative effect."
The Recommended Practices for Hand Hygiene in the Perioperative Setting, 2009, is currently available electronically and is an update to the Recommended Practices for Surgical Antisepsis/Hand Scrubs in the 2009 edition of Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices.
Learn more about AORN's electronic recommended practices currently available through AORN's new eSubscription, by visiting aorn.org/eSubscription.
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