Dr. Lakshmi Priya
Microbiology
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I have had OCD about washing my hands for many years and have some doubts regarding hand washing.
1. When we wash hands and have created lather on our hands, is the scrubbing more important or the contact time with soap more important?
2. If the hands are visibly covered with a good lather, and some part is not scrubbed thoroughly, will the contact with soap molecules kill viruses, or would it not work because of no scrubbing?
Kindly help.
Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Hand washing has seven steps. Please refer to the world health organization (WHO) guidelines for handwashing with soap and water. Both scrubbing and contact time are important. But do not wash hands very frequently unless exposed to contaminated areas. Otherwise, we may lose the good bacteria in the skin, which act as a barrier preventing infections. Also, it may remove natural oil from the skin and cause damage to the epithelium and expose it to germs. Wash hands only when necessary.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thank you for the reply.
If one comes into contact with HIV-infected body fluid or blood (when such fluids are spilled on some surface), how long should one wash hands?
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
If one comes in contact with any infected blood they should wash hands with soap and water for a minimum of 30 to 45 seconds following all seven steps of hand washing techniques.
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Microbiology
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