Surgical Hand Washing Brushless System

Surgical Hand Washing Brushless System

Equipment
■ Antimicrobial soap (60% to 95% alcohol or other FDA-approved for surgical hand asepsis).
■ Single-use nail cleaner.
■ Deep sink with foot or knee controls.
■ Shoe covers, cap, and face mask.
■ Sterile gloves.
■ Surgical pack containing sterile towel.

Key Points
■ Don surgical shoe covers, cap, and face mask before the scrub.
■ Remove rings, watches, and bracelets.
■ Using warm water, perform a prewash, using soap and water.
■ Using a pick, clean under your nails, under running water.
■ Keep your hands above your elbows and away from the body.
■ Wet your hands and forearms from fingertips to elbows.
■ Dispense a generous amount of antimicrobial soap.
■ Use a twisting motion for the fingertips and nails. Then vigorously rub the hands together. Scrub all surfaces of nails, fingers, hands, and forearms for the length of time specified by the agency (usually 3 minutes). The Order of the Scrub Is Generally as Follows:
■ Nondominant hand and fingers, lower 1/3 of nondominant forearm, rinse.
■ Dominant hand and fingers, lower 1/3 of dominant arm, rinse.
■ Repeat the scrub and rinse both hands and lower forearms.
■ Scrub remaining 2/3 of nondominant forearm to 2 in. above elbow, and rinse. Then scrub remaining 2/3 of dominant forearm to 2 in. above elbow, and rinse.
■ Repeat scrub and rinse of upper forearms.
■ Repeat all the preceding scrubbing, stopping before the elbow.
■ Grasp a sterile towel and back away from the sterile field.
■ Thoroughly dry your hands, use one end of the towel for the dominant hand/arm, the other end for the nondominant hand/arm.

Documentation
■ No documentation required. The agency may have a checklist to indicate a scrub was done.

Use a twisting motion for fingertips and nails

Grasp the sterile towel and back away from the sterile field