Bare below elbows: does this policy affect handwashing efficacy and reduce bacterial colonisation?

摘要

INTRODUCTIONUK Department of Health guidelines recommend that clinical staff are ‘bare below the elbows’. There is a paucity of evidence to support this policy. One may hypothesise that absence of clothing around wrists facilitates more effective handwashing: this study aims to establish whether dress code affects bacterial colonisation before and after handwashing.