In addition to donning PPE, what critical step should accompany hand hygiene?

• A. Hand hygiene optional when gloves are worn
• B. Hand Hygiene should be performed before donning PPE
• C. PPE can be worn without any hand hygiene
• D. PPE should be reused across patients if clean

Answer: (B)

Cleaning your hands before putting on protective equipment is essential. PPE works best when your hands are already free of contaminants, because any dirt or microbes on your hands can be transferred to the gloves, gown, mask, or face shield during donning. This undermines the barrier that PPE is meant to provide and increases the risk of transmitting organisms to the patient or to yourself. So, perform hand hygiene first, using soap and water if hands are visibly dirty or contaminated, or an alcohol-based hand rub for routine situations. After patient care or if you remove PPE, do another round of hand hygiene to remove any contaminants you may have picked up.