“If the glove fits”: Hospital-wide universal gloving is associated with improved hand hygiene and may reduce Clostridioides difficile infection

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether a hospital-wide universal gloving program resulted in increased hand hygiene compliance and reduced inpatient Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rates. Design: We carried out a multiple-year before-and-after quasi-experimental quality improvement study. Gloving and hand hygiene compliance data as well as hospital-acquired infection rates were prospectively collected from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017, by secret monitors. Settings: The University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital, an 849-bed quaternary-care teaching hospital. Patients: All adult inpatients with the exception of patients in the obstetrics unit. Interventions: A hospital-wide universal gloving protocol was initiated on January 1, 2016. Results: Hand hygiene compliance increased from 68% in 2015 reaching an average of 88% by 2017 (P < .0002). A 10% increase in gloving per unit was associated with a 1.13-fold increase in the odds of hand hygiene (95% credible interval, 1.12–1.14). The rates of CDI decreased from 1.05 infections per 1,000 patient days in 2015 to 0.74 in 2017 (P < .04). Conclusion: A universal gloving initiative was associated with a statistically significant increase in both gloving and hand hygiene compliance. CDI rates decreased during this intervention.

Clostridioides difficile infection after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for acute myocardial infarction: a case report

“…Alongside ensuring high-quality disinfection and sterilization in hospitals, particular attention should be given to hand hygiene. Healthcare personnel in close proximity to patients must adhere to recommended procedures for thorough hand disinfection, using running water (35). It is worth noting that, at present, there is insufficient evidence to recommend any probiotics for the primary or secondary prevention of CDI in most patients (11).…”