Surgical Hand Washing Time (2023)

1. Healthcare Providers | Hand Hygiene - CDC

Other entities have recommended that cleaning your hands with soap and water should take around 20 seconds. Either time is acceptable. The focus should be on ...
Courses and guidelines on hand hygiene.

In the second half of the 20th century, the recommended time for surgical hand preparation decreased from >10 minutes to 5 minutes. ... Even today, 5-minute ...
Historically, Joseph Lister (1827–1912) demonstrated the effect of disinfection on the reduction of surgical site infections (SSIs).506 At that time, surgical gloves were not yet available, thereby making appropriate disinfection of the surgical site of the patient and hand antisepsis by the surgeon even more imperative.507 During the 19th century, surgical hand preparation consisted of washing the hands with antimicrobial soap and warm water, frequently with the use of a brush.508 In 1894, three steps were suggested: 1) wash hands with hot water, medicated soap, and a brush for 5 minutes; 2) apply 90% ethanol for 3–5 minutes with a brush; and 3) rinse the hands with an “aseptic liquid”.508 In 1939, Price suggested a 7-minute handwash with soap, water, and a brush, followed by 70% ethanol for 3 minutes after drying the hands with a towel.63 In the second half of the 20th century, the recommended time for surgical hand preparation decreased from >10 minutes to 5 minutes.509–512 Even today, 5-minute protocols are common.197 A comparison of different countries showed almost as many protocols as listed countries.513

May 1, 2001 · Start timing. Scrub each side of each finger, between the fingers, and the back and front of the hand for two minutes. Proceed to scrub the arms ...
How to perform surgical hand scrubs.

Oct 8, 2020 · Surgical hand scrubbing will be performed in 1 minute and 2 minutes using a disposable nail brush. No Intervention: Group II (Brushless-1 minute).
Surgical Hand Scrubbing Methods and the Duration of Scrubbing Time - Full Text View.

3. The hand wash should be performed for a minimum of 20 seconds applying friction and washing all surfaces of the hands and fingers as well as under the nails.

Wash each finger, hand, and arm to two inches above the elbows using the non abrasive sponge for a total scrub time of three minutes. Note: Use brush side only ...

9. If using the timed technique, the total time of the surgical hand scrub should be at least two minutes. It is useful to break the process into three stages: ...

May 10, 2009 · As a general rule, 2 to 6 minutes should suffice when performing a timed scrub. Clinical data has not demonstrated that longer scrubs are more ...
How to Perform a Proper Hand Scrub - Infection Control - May, 2009