Decreasing Hospital-Associated Rotavirus Infection

Abstract

Improving hand hygiene is an important goal for health care institutions. These data can be useful for development of interventions aimed at improving hand hygiene.

Healthcare-associated Viral Gastroenteritis among Children in a Large Pediatric Hospital, United Kingdom

“…Given that CA viruses are likely to be the source of HA viral gastroenteritis, standard hospital infection prevention measures (e.g., isolation of children with AGE) should be emphasized ( 32 ). Hand washing by staff before patient contact may be particularly important because asymptomatic staff members could be a source of HA rotavirus infection ( 33 ) and hand washing has been shown to reduce the rate for nosocomial rotavirus infection ( 34 ). However, because HA rotavirus infection remains a substantial clinical problem ≈20 years after publication of a seminal study on the subject ( 22 ), even stringent infection control precautions are likely to be insufficient to greatly reduce the problem.…”

“The 3/3 Strategy”: A Successful Multifaceted Hospital Wide Hand Hygiene Intervention Based on WHO and Continuous Quality Improvement Methodology

“…Phase 1 intervention (2010) share key components with other successful hospital-wide WHO strategy based interventions [6], [7], [8], [9], [10] and included the five progressive steps such as administrative support and multidisciplinary approach, promotion of easy access to alcohol hand-rub solutions in points of care (AHR at bedside) educational interventions, strategically placed reminders, audits by direct observation and feedback on performance.…”

“…Healthcare workers' hands are known to be the most common vehicle for the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens [3]. The importance of hand hygiene (HH) in preventing HAIs is well sustained in evidence-base models [4], [5], and prospective studies [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]; also, HH promotion is included in all bundle interventions aimed to reduce HAIs [1].…”

“…Only hospital wide interventions aimed to promote a cultural change have been successful in achieving sustained improvements in HH compliance leading to diminished HAI rates [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]. Furthermore, knowledge from cognitive, behavioural, and social theories [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21] and the contribution from focus groups [17], [22] have been extremely useful to understand the complexity of our goal and to overcome potential barriers.…”

Rotavirus: The challenges ahead

“…Rigorous infection-control practices, for example, a hand hygiene program in a US hospital more than halved the incidence of nosocomial infection in only three years. (9) However, rotavirus is relatively resistant to inactivation by commonly used clinical disinfectants and antiseptics. Plain soap for hand washing is ineffective against rotavirus, so use of waterless hand cleaning agent containing alcohol has been recommended.…”