More Aseptic Technique

 

Surgical Hand Scrub

1. Don cap or hood, mask; don protective goggles, if appropriate.

2. Using foot or knee lever, adjust water flow and temperature.

3. Wet your hands. Add a few drops of antimicrobial soap and more water as needed to make lather.

4. Wash your hands and forearms thoroughly. Use one brush and soap to clean your nails and clean under your nails with the nail cleaner.

5. Rinse your hands and arms thoroughly, keeping your hands higher than your elbows. Take care to avoid splashing your scrub clothes - dampness may later moisten your sterile gown, causing contamination.

6. Using the second brush and more soap, the actual scrub begins. Number of strokes used:

A. Nails - 30 strokes.

B. 20 strokes to each area of the skin, which usually takes about five minutes.

7. The fingers, hands and arms should be visualized as having four sides and each side must be effectively scrubbed.

A. Starting with the fingernails, scrub them vigorously, holding the brush perpendicular to them.

B. Then scrub all sides of each finger and the palms and backs of the hands.

C. Use a circular motion to scrub each side of the forearms and elbows, up to two inches above the elbows.

8. Keep your hands above your elbows while scrubbing and add small amounts of water as needed to maintain a good lather. When scrubbing is completed, discard the brush.

9. Rinse your hands and arms thoroughly.

10. To dry, grasp the corner of a sterile towel and step back from the field, allowing the towel to fall open. Bend forward at the waist and hold your arms away from your body and above your waist. Dry your hands, then your arms, thoroughly, rotating the towel as required.

11. Take care not to contaminate the sterile field, the towel or your hands.

12. You are now ready to don your sterile gown and gloves.

 

Surgical Hand Rub

1. Don cap or hood, mask; don protective goggles, if appropriate.

2. Using foot or knee lever, adjust water flow and temperature.

3. Wash hands and arms with approved nonantimicrobial soap and water.

4. Clean fingernails under running water using disposable nail cleaner; discard nail cleaner.

5. Rinse hands and arms under running water.

6. Dry hands and arms.

7. Dispense 2 mL (one foot pump) of antiseptic hand prep into the palm of one hand. Do not use water with the hand prep.

8. Dip the fingertips of the opposite hand into the hand prep and work it under the nails.

9. Spread the remaining hand prep evenly over the hand, forearm and elbow, covering all surfaces.

10. Using an additional 2 mL of hand prep, repeat steps 7 to 9 with the other arm.

11. Dispense an additional 2 mL of antiseptic hand prep into either palm and reapply to all aspects of both hands up to the wrists.

12. To facilitate drying, continue running antiseptic hand prep into hands until dry.

13. Keep scrubbed hands and arms in view and avoid contamination; allow to dry completely before donning gloves.