What does near-patient alcohol handrub mean in practice?
A. Hand disinfectants such as alcohol are most effective when they are made available where busy staff can clean their hands without leaving the patient. Near-patient alcohol can mean locating the disinfectant at each bedside or by the examination couch in a treatment room. Where this is not possible (for example, due to the risk associated with its placement) staff can be issued with personal dispensers which can be carried in the pocket or clipped onto clothing. The term at the point of care also describes what we mean by near-patient alcohol.
