Medical<unk>  became mandatory long after Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis discovered its effectiveness (in 1846) in preventing disease in a hospital environment. There are electronic devices that provide feedback to remind hospital staff to wash their<unk> s when they forget. One study has found decreased infection rates with their use. Method Medical<unk>  is for a minimum of 15 seconds, using generous amounts of soap and water or gel to lather and rub each part of the<unk> s.<unk> s should be rubbed together with digits interlocking. If there is debris under fingernails, a bristle brush may be used to remove it. Since pathogens may remain in the water on the<unk> s, it is important to rinse well and wipe dry with a clean towel. After drying, the paper towel should be used to turn off the water (and open any exit door if necessary). This avoids re-contaminating the<unk> s from those surfaces. The purpose of<unk>  in the health-care setting is to remove pathogenic microorganisms ("germs") and avoid transmitting them. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that a lack of<unk>  remains at unacceptable levels in most medical environments, with large numbers of doctors and nurses routinely forgetting to wash their<unk> s before touching patients, thus transmitting microorganisms. One study showed that proper<unk>  and other simple procedures can decrease the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infections by 66 percent.Video demonstration on<unk>  The World Health Organization has published a sheet demonstrating standard<unk>  and<unk> -rubbing in health-care sectors. The draft guidance of<unk>  hygiene by the organization can also be found at its website for public comment. A relevant review was conducted by Whitby et al. Commercial devices can measure and validate<unk>  hygiene, if demonstration of regulatory compliance is required. The World Health Organization has "Five Moments" for<unk> <unk> s: * before patient care * after environmental contact * after exposure to blood/body fluids * before an aseptic task, and * after patient care. The addition of antiseptic chemicals to soap ("medicated" or "antimicrobial" soaps) confers killing action to a<unk>  agent. Such killing action may be desired before performing surgery or in settings in which antibiotic-resistant organisms are highly prevalent. To 'scrub' one's<unk> s for a surgical operation, it is necessary to have a tap that can be turned on and off without touching it with the<unk> s, some chlorhexidine or iodine wash, sterile towels for drying the<unk> s after<unk> , and a sterile brush for scrubbing and another sterile instrument for cleaning under the fingernails. All jewelry should be removed. This procedure requires<unk>  the<unk> s and forearms up to the elbow, usually 2–6 minutes. Long scrub-times (10 minutes) are not necessary. When rinsing, water on the forearms must be prevented from running back to the<unk> s. After<unk>  is completed, the<unk> s are dried with a sterile cloth and a surgical gown is donned. Effectiveness in healthcare settings leftTo reduce the spread of pathogens, it is better to wash the<unk> s or use a<unk>  antiseptic before and after tending to a sick person. For control of staphylococcal infections in hospitals, it has been found that the greatest benefit from<unk> -cleansing came from the first 20% of<unk> , and that very little additional benefit was gained when<unk>  cleansing frequency was increased beyond 35%.<unk>  with plain soap results in more than triple the rate of bacterial infectious disease transmitted to food as compared to<unk>  with antibacterial soap. Comparing<unk> -rubbing with alcohol-based solution with<unk>  with antibacterial soap for a median time of 30 seconds each showed that the alcohol<unk> -rubbing reduced bacterial contamination 26% more than the antibacterial soap. But soap and water is more effective than alcohol-based<unk>  rubs for reducing H1N1 influenza A virus and Clostridium difficile spores from<unk> s. Interventions to improve<unk>  hygiene in healthcare settings can involve education for staff on<unk> , increasing the availability of alcohol-based<unk>  rub, and written and verbal reminders to staff. There is a need for more research into which of these interventions are most effective in different healthcare settings.
Hand washing
Nail biting
Tooth polishing
Indoor tanning
Self-medication
Dipping tobacco
Mustard bath
Visiting the sick