Surgical hand disinfection

Preoperative rub-in procedure by the application of a hand disinfectant before donning surgical gloves. Aims at the hands' microbial flora.

Different studies have shown that surgical gloves are not an absolutely safe barrier against pathogens. Prior to surgeries, medical staff completely wet hands and forearms with a hand disinfectant to reduce the transmission of microorganisms to surgical wounds to the greatest possible extent - even when glove perforation occurs.

The exposure time depends on the hand disinfectant used and can be 5, 3 or 1.5 minutes.