A recent study showed that one in four healthcare workers' hands were contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after routine care of patients infected with the bacteria and before performing hand hygiene, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.

A recent study published by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America showed that healthcare workers' hands were contaminated when washing patients, conducting a digital rectal exam or changing linen.

The duration of contact was a factor in hand contamination and was more common among nurse assistants than nurses or physicians, the article said.

Wearing gloves along with conducting hand hygiene with soap and water instead of an alcohol-based hand rub after glove removal is the best way to avoid contamination, the study said.

"The best way to protect patients from the cross-transmission of microorganisms is to encourage healthcare workers to practice good hand hygiene during healthcare," Christian Brun-Buisson, an author of the study, said in the article.

Read the article.