An assessment of hand hygiene practices of healthcare workers of a semi-urban teaching hospital using the five moments of hand hygiene

Abstract

Background:Hand hygiene has been described as the cornerstone and starting point in all infection control programs, with the hands of healthcare staff being the drivers and promoters of infection in critically ill patients. The objectives of this study were to access healthcare workers compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed five moments of hand hygiene as it relates to patient care and to determine the various strata of healthcare workers who are in default of such prescribed practices.Methods:The study was an observational, cross-sectional one. Hand hygiene compliance was monitored using the hand hygiene observation tool developed by the WHO. A nonidentified observer was used for monitoring compliance with hand hygiene. The observational period was over a 60-day period from August 2015 to October 2015.Results:One hundred and seventy-six observations were recorded from healthcare personnel. The highest number of observations were seen in surgery, n = 40. The following were found to be in noncompliance before patient contact – anesthetist P = 0.00 and the Intensive Care Unit P = 0.00 while compliance was seen with senior nurses (certified registered nurse anesthetist [CRNA]) P = 0.04. Concerning hand hygiene after the removal of gloves, the following were areas of noncompliance - the emergency room P = 0.00, CRNA P = 0.00, dental P = 0.04, and compliance was seen with surgery P = 0.01. With regards to compliance after touching the patient, areas of noncompliance were the anesthetists P = 0.00, as opposed to CRNA P = 0.00, dental P = 0.00, and Medicine Department P = 0.02 that were compliant. Overall, the rates of compliance to hand hygiene were low.Discussion:The findings however from our study show that the rates of compliance in our local center are still low. The reasons for this could include lack of an educational program on hand hygiene; unfortunately, healthcare workers in developing settings such as ours regard such programs as being mundane.Conclusion:The observance of hand hygiene is still low in our local environment. Handwashing practices in our study show that healthcare workers pay attention to hand hygiene when it appears there is a direct observable threat to their wellbeing. Educational programs need to be developed to address the issue of poor hand hygiene.

Standard precautions: Nurses’ knowledge and use in a tertiary health institution in Southeast Nigeria

“…This is probably the reason for the high level of practice of hand hygiene prior to performing an aseptic procedure and before leaving the patient's care area while it is very low during the other moments of hand hygiene. Similar discrepancies in the practice of hand hygiene have been reported (Shobowale et al, 2016).…”

Nursing Practices in Peripheral Venous Catheter: Phlebitis and Patient Safety

“…[19][20] In order to provide care in relation to hand hygiene, it is necessary to supervise the adoption of these practices and invest in training, in addition to providing materials and adjusting the infrastructure which is sometimes old or outdated such as rooms without washbasins. [20][21] The absence of disposable tourniquets or cleaning and disinfection of the tourniquets between contact with patients during peripheral venous puncture was a practice among nurses and was corroborated in another study. 22 Decontamination of tourniquets during patient care in different patients is essential to prevent infections related to the presence of PVCs, since the vast majority of tourniquets are contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms and have microbial resistance, such as Staphylococcus spp.…”

“…22 Decontamination of tourniquets during patient care in different patients is essential to prevent infections related to the presence of PVCs, since the vast majority of tourniquets are contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms and have microbial resistance, such as Staphylococcus spp. 21 This fact reinforces the need to implement institutional protocols for the substitution or disinfection of the tourniquets as well as educational in-service actions which are directed at giving professionals instructions about the importance of implementing this care in the nursing practices in order to prevent health care associated infections.…”

A survey of hand hygiene knowledge, attitude and practices among health care workers in a tertiary hospital, Southwestern Nigeria

“…HAI are a burden to both physicians and patients, as they lead to complications in therapy, overall increase in admission days, increase healthcare costs and may result in mortality [4,20]. control, HCW still do not fully adhere to the recommended hand hygiene practices and as such compliances was still low [5]. In a systematic review by Erasmus, et al [22], on hand hygiene practices, it was discovered that in ICUs and general wards, the compliance rate was 40% among physicians.…”

“…Arch Community Med Public Health 6(2): 146-151. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17352/2455-5479.000095 considered to reduce infection transmissibility in the hospital setting [5,6]. Although hand hygiene can be described as an effective, simple, cheap and not time consuming HAI control strategy most studies show low compliance rate of between 40% and 70% [7,8].…”