Question

Arturo works in an outpatient laboratory, drawing blood after donning clean gloves for each patient. If he draws blood from ten patients, how many times should he have practiced hand hygiene?

Answer 1

Arturo should practice hand hygiene at least 20 times, corresponding to before and after seeing each of the ten patients he draws blood from in the outpatient laboratory.

Step-by-step explanation:

Arturo is a healthcare worker who should practice strict hand hygiene to prevent the spread of infection while working in an outpatient laboratory. According to health guidelines, health-care workers must wash their hands thoroughly before and after putting on gloves for each patient, as gloves are not a substitute for handwashing. This means that for ten patients, Arturo would need to practice hand hygiene at least 20 times: before and after donning gloves for each patient.

Additionally, if he comes into contact with bodily fluids or potentially infectious material, he may need to perform hand hygiene more frequently. The goal of such protocols is to reduce the introduction of microbes to patients, as even with proper attire like gloves, the risk for transmitting infections exists.