The effective disinfection of hand and skin
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The effective disinfection of hand and skin
Hand sanitizing is a way for users to protect themselves from infectious diseases. First of all, hand sanitizing means spreading and rubbing a certain amount of sanitizer on the skin and hands. Hand sanitizers are effective against bacteria, viruses and fungus and provide effective and safe hygiene.
There are several factors to consider when using hand sanitizers. Especially in the medical field, proper hand disinfection is essential. However, hand sanitizers can also be used in the home to support daily hygiene. Especially in the cold months and during the flu season, hand sanitization reduces the risk of infection.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for protection against pathogens.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when disinfecting skin and hands. The correct exposure time and amount of disinfectant to use varies by manufacturer and ingredient. Sufficient wetting of the skin and hands for the specified exposure time is essential for both hygienic and surgical hand disinfection. The amount of hand sanitizer needed depends on the size of the hand.
A hand sanitizer will only be fully effective and protect against infection if it has a sufficiently good spectrum of activity. For hand hygiene, there are three spectra of activity: limited virucidal, limited virucidal PLUS and virucidal. Limited virucidal disinfectants are effective against enveloped viruses such as corona or influenza viruses. Limited virucidal PLUS includes Noro, Rota and Adenoviruses in addition to enveloped viruses. Virucidal spectrum hand sanitizers include both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.
For hygienic hand disinfection in hospitals and clinics, hand disinfectants with limited virucidal PLUS activity should be used. When used correctly, these disinfectants provide reliable protection in daily medical practice. This improves hand hygiene and prevents infections. A virucidal hand rub should be used for surgical hand disinfection. These disinfect comprehensively and ensure hygienic use in sensitive areas.
A variety of hand rubs are available for skin and hand disinfection. The Robert Koch Institute and the German Association for Applied Hygiene (VAH) publish lists of disinfectants. RKI-listed or VAH-listed hand rubs are proven to be effective and can be used for hygienic hand disinfection.