A nurse is caring for a client who has a Clostridium difficile infection. Which of the following cleansing agents should the nurse use for hand hygiene?

A. Povidine-iodine: Povidine-iodine is primarily used for skin antisepsis before invasive procedures or surgery. It is not effective or practical for routine hand hygiene and does not reliably remove C. difficile spores. B. Chlorhexidine: Chlorhexidine is effective against many bacteria and some viruses but has limited efficacy against C. difficile spores. It is not recommended for hand hygiene in cases of C. difficile infection. C. Alcohol-based antiseptic: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective at killing C. difficile spores. Relying solely on alcohol-based products may leave viable spores on the hands and contribute to transmission. D. Soap and water: Washing hands with soap and water is the most effective method for physically removing C. difficile spores from the hands. It is the recommended hand hygiene practice after caring for a client with a C. difficile infection.