Certified Clinical Medical Assistant CCMA Practice Test

Hand hygiene is a critical practice in healthcare settings to prevent the spread of infections. Performing hand hygiene before and after patient contact addresses the primary route of transmission of pathogens, which can occur through direct or indirect contact. Doing so before procedures ensures that the healthcare worker's hands are free of contaminants that could potentially introduce infections to the patient. After removing gloves, it is important to perform hand hygiene as well because gloves may not provide a perfect barrier against pathogens, and some can still linger on the hands.

This comprehensive approach to hand hygiene—incorporating actions before and after contact with patients, after glove removal, and prior to procedures—is in line with guidelines from health organizations aimed at reducing healthcare-associated infections. Other options, which suggest performing hand hygiene only in specific or limited circumstances, do not adequately protect against the wider range of potential pathogen transmissions that can occur in a healthcare environment.