<P> Independent studies by Ignaz Semmelweis in 1846 in Vienna and Oliver Wendell Holmes , Sr. in 1843 in Boston established a link between the hands of health care workers and the spread of hospital - acquired disease . The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) state that `` It is well documented that the most important measure for preventing the spread of pathogens is effective handwashing . '' In the developed world , hand washing is mandatory in most health care settings and required by many different regulators . </P>
<P> Independent studies by Ignaz Semmelweis in 1846 in Vienna and Oliver Wendell Holmes , Sr. in 1843 in Boston established a link between the hands of health care workers and the spread of hospital - acquired disease . The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) state that `` It is well documented that the most important measure for preventing the spread of pathogens is effective handwashing . '' In the developed world , hand washing is mandatory in most health care settings and required by many different regulators . </P>
what is the most important aspect of all infection control procedures
what is the most important aspect of all infection control procedures
effective handwashing
effective handwashing