How to Wash Your Hands for Sterile Compounding

A journey to understanding nuclear pharmacy. Section 1.

Aseptic technique is a set of practices to minimize contamination from the introduction of pathogens. It is the process of maintaining sterility rather than the process of sterilizing, which is an important distinction in understanding procedures that should be followed when compounding sterile products.

As with the common cold, hand hygiene is a basic step to keeping things clean. Most contaminants that are introduced into a sterile environment actually come from the staff who are handling the products. This is one of the most important steps to ensuring that introduction of microbes that may compromise any preparations made by the employee, and potentially harm the patient, are prevented.

It’s important to note that hand washing is at a specific point within the garbing procedure. Generally after donning shoe covers, a head cover (and facial hair cover if necessary), and face mask. Fun fact: You put your (a.k.a. don) gown on after hand washing because tap water is still a source of potential microbes!

Key steps to hand hygiene:

1. Remove all jewelry (including watches) below the elbow
2. Under warm water, clean under fingernails to remove debris
3. Working from the fingertips to the elbows, wash vigorously in circular motions for 30 seconds
4. Rinse completely, without allowing rinse water to run over fingertips
5. Dry hands with a lint-free wipe from fingertips to elbows

Pearls for hand hygiene success:

• Using brushes to scrub skin might damage the skin and increase shedding and risk of contamination
• Be conscious to wash every surface of every finger
• Use warm water, not hot, to prevent drying of skin
• Commit to being thorough with each wash

Further in the garbing process, prior to donning gloves, you will have to use an alcohol-based, waterless hand scrub (put product all over hands and fingers and rub until dry).

Bonus pearl: The most frequently missed areas of the hands are the back of the thumbs, the finger tips, and in-between the webbing of the fingers. The folds and creases of the palms of the hands are also areas that are commonly missed.

I hope this was a helpful review in hand washing techniques!

Thanks for reading.

-Laurie

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Laurie Eng, PharmD | LEng1027@gmail.com | LinkedIn

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