What should healthcare workers do immediately after handling infectious materials?

The correct action for healthcare workers to take immediately after handling infectious materials is to perform hand hygiene. This step is crucial because it helps prevent the spread of pathogens that may have been transferred to the hands while managing potentially infectious materials. Hand hygiene involves either washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, both of which significantly reduce the risk of infection transmission to oneself and others.

After dealing with infectious materials, the hands can harbor bacteria or viruses that could pose a risk to patients and healthcare staff alike. Ensuring that hands are clean helps maintain a safe environment for patient care, aligning with standard infection control practices.

The other options provided do not address immediate infection control needs. Reassessing the patient may be necessary as part of ongoing care, but it should not take precedence over maintaining hand hygiene after exposure to infectious substances. Eating snacks is unrelated to infection control and can actually pose a risk if proper hygiene isn't followed first. Changing into clean clothing, while important in some scenarios, does not directly address the immediate need for hand hygiene after handling infectious materials.