Which actions constitute essential elements of hand hygiene before IV care?

• A. Rinse with water only for 5 seconds.
• B. Dry hands with dirty towels.
• C. Wet hands, apply soap, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse well, dry with a clean towel, then apply gloves.
• D. Skip washing if wearing gloves.

Answer: (C)

Getting hands clean properly before IV care is essential to prevent introducing infections into the IV site. The best approach is to thoroughly wet the hands, apply soap, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse well, dry with a clean towel, and then put on gloves. That 20-second scrub ensures all surfaces—palms, backs, between the fingers, and under the nails—are cleaned, and using a clean towel prevents recontamination while drying. Donning gloves after washing provides a barrier, but gloves aren’t a substitute for hand hygiene; hands should be clean before gloves are worn, and gloves should be changed if contaminated or after each patient.

Rinsing with water only for a short time misses soap and sufficient scrubbing, drying with dirty towels risk recontamination, and skipping washing because gloves are worn ignores the need to remove microbes before gloving and the possibility of gloves tearing or becoming contaminated.