What is the standard hand hygiene practice upon entry to the examination room?

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Hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection when you enter an examination room. The standard practice is to perform hand hygiene using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or, if the hands are not visibly soiled, to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. This approach cleanly removes or inactivates germs that you may carry on your hands and is recommended before patient contact. Wiping with disposable wipes or rinsing with water alone does not reliably remove pathogens, and wearing gloves does not replace the need to clean your hands before donning them or after removing them.