Hand Hygiene Article Collection
Changing the culture of hand hygiene compliance using a bundle that includes a violation letter
Hand hygiene is the best method of preventing transmission of infections in health care, but compliance is usually suboptimal. In one hospital, compliance with hand hygiene was improved and sustained using a multifaceted bundle approach. A unique aspect of the bundle was the creation of a violation letter that was sent to and enforced by managers of noncompliant personnel. The letter appeared to be the major factor in raising the hand hygiene compliance rate from 34% to >90% in a 2-year period.Clostridium difficile colitis: A retrospective study of incidence and severity before and after institution of an alcohol-based hand rub policy
Clostridium difficile‒associated diarrhea is a leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea. We sought to determine whether the institution of a hospital-wide alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) policy was associated with an increase in the incidence and/or severity of health care facility‒onset, health care facility‒associated C difficile diarrhea (CDAD).Increased use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and successful eradication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from a neonatal intensive care unit: A multivariate time series analysis
We analyzed time series data to investigate factors that contributed to the gradual decrease and eventual eradication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Does hand hygiene compliance among health care workers change when patients are in contact precaution rooms in ICUs?
Hand hygiene compliance rates among health care workers (HCW) rarely exceed 50%. Contact precautions are thought to increase HCWs' hand hygiene awareness. We sought to determine any differences in hand hygiene compliance rates for HCW between patients in contact precaution and those not in any isolation.Improving hand hygiene compliance: A multidisciplinary approach
This article focuses on improving hand hygiene compliance using a multidisciplinary approach. Historically, hand hygiene compliance among health care workers and physicians has been far below an acceptable level. The facility discussed in this article uses an ongoing “Hand Hygiene” campaign, which is multidisciplinary and addresses numerous barriers to compliance.Prevention of the spread of infection: The need for a family-centered approach to hygiene promotion
Infectious diseases (IDs) continue to be a significant health and economic burden on the community, and the emergence of new pathogens, including antimicrobial resistant strains, demand new prevention strategies, which involve not only health care settings but the community as a whole. The situation is exacerbated by social, demographic, and other changes, which means that people with reduced immunity to infection now make up an increasing proportion of the global population.1 Technologic and policy changes are introduced to save costs or reduce environmental effects without regard to their potential impact on ID risks.The World Health Organization hand hygiene observation method
Monitoring hand hygiene adherence and providing performance feedback to health care workers is a critical component of multimodal hand hygiene promotion programs, but important variations exist in the way adherence is measured. Within the framework of the World Health Organization's (WHO) First Global Patient Safety Challenge known as “Clean Care is Safer Care,” an evidence-based, user-centered concept, “My five moments for hand hygiene,” has been developed for measuring, teaching, and reporting hand hygiene adherence.
