Key infection prevention measures include which of the following related to hand hygiene?

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Washing hands with soap and water for about 30 seconds at key times is essential to remove germs that you could transfer to patients or the environment. The specific timing—before and after using the restroom and before and after putting on or taking off PPE—targets moments when hands are most likely to pick up or spread contaminants. Thorough handwashing physically removes microbes from the skin, including situations where sanitizer alone might not be enough, such as when hands are visibly dirty or when caring for patients with certain infections. This practice helps prevent the transmission of pathogens during patient care and PPE handling. In contrast, disorganized work areas, reusing disposable PPE, or simply disposing of trash, while related to overall infection control, do not directly address the critical hand hygiene actions that break the transmission chain.