To effectively prevent infection spread, healthcare workers should prioritize which practice?

Proper hand hygiene is considered the most critical practice in preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings. It is the primary measure for breaking the chain of infection. Hands are the main vehicles for transmitting pathogens, and without routine and effective handwashing or the use of hand sanitizers, healthcare workers risk spreading infectious agents to themselves, their patients, and the environment.

Hand hygiene involves using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers to eliminate dirt, bacteria, and viruses from the hands. This practice is essential before and after patient contact, before handling food, and after using the restroom, among other situations. Studies have consistently shown that proper hand hygiene decreases the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), making it a foundational element of infection control protocols in hospitals and clinics.

Other practices, while important, do not replace the necessity of proper hand hygiene. For instance, wearing gloves and using face shields provide barriers and protection but are only effective when hand hygiene is already practiced. Isolating infected patients is crucial in controlling outbreaks, but it cannot replace the fundamental need for clean hands as the primary defense against infection transmission. Thus, prioritizing hand hygiene fundamentally underpins all other infection control measures.