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Cohort Study of Adherence to Correct Hand Antisepsis Before and After Performance of Clinical Procedures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Sussie Laustsen ,
Elisabeth Lund ,
Bo Martin Bibby ,
Brian Kristensen ,
Ane Marie Thulstrup  and
Jens Kjølseth Møller
Sussie Laustsen*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Århus University Hospital, Skejby, Århus, Denmark
Elisabeth Lund
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Århus University Hospital, Skejby, Århus, Denmark
Bo Martin Bibby
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, University of Århus, Århus, Denmark
Brian Kristensen
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Århus University Hospital, Skejby, Århus, Denmark
Ane Marie Thulstrup
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Medicine, Århus University Hospital, Århus Sygehus, Århus, Denmark
Jens Kjølseth Møller
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Århus University Hospital, Skejby, Århus, Denmark
*
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Århus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, DK-8200 Århus N, Denmark (suslaust@rm.dk)
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Abstract

Objective.

To investigate the rate of adherence by hospital staff members to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub before and after performance of clinical procedures.

Design.

A cohort study conducted during the period from 2006 through 2007 and 2 cross-sectional studies conducted in 2006 and 2007.

Setting.

Århus University Hospital, Skejby, in Århus, Denmark.

Participants.

Various hospital staff members.

Methods.

Following an ongoing campaign promoting the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub, we observed rates of adherence by hospital staff to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub. Observations were made before and after each contact with patients or patient surroundings during 5 weekdays during the period from 2006 through 2007 in 10 different hospital units. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the rate of adherence to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub before and after performance of a clinical procedure.

Results.

A total of 496 participants were observed during 22,906 opportunities for hand hygiene (ie, 11,177 before and 11,729 after clinical procedures) that required the use of alcohol-based hand rub. The overall rates of adherence to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub were 62.3% (6,968 ofthe 11,177 opportunities) before performance and 68.6% (8,041 ofthe 11,729 opportunities) after performance of clinical procedures. Compared with male participants, female participants were significantly better at adhering to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub before performance (odds ratio [OR] 1.51 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.09–2.10]) and after performance (OR, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.27–2.36]) of clinical procedures. In general, the rate of adherence was significantly higher after the performance of clinical procedures, compared with before (OR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.35–1.52]). For our cohort of 214 participants who were observed during 14,319 opportunities, the rates of adherence to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub were 63.2% (4,469 of the 7,071 opportunities) before performance and 69.3% (5,021 of the 7,248 opportunities) after performance of clinical procedures, and these rates increased significantly from 2006 to 2007, except for physicians.

Conclusion.

We found a high and increasing rate of adherence to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub before and after performance of clinical procedures following a campaign that promoted the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub. More hospital staff performed hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub after performance of clinical procedures, compared with before performance. Future campaigns to improve the rate of adherence to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub ought be aware that certain groups of hospital staff (eg, male staff members) are known to exhibit a low level of adherence to the correct use of alcohol-based hand rub.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , February 2009 , pp. 172 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2009

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