Hand hygiene compliance in patients under contact precautions and in the general hospital population

Abstract

Introduction: Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important intervention for preventing hospital-acquired infections. Contact precautions are a series of actions that infection control units take to reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens.

Methods: We conducted an observational study of HH compliance. Observations were stratified as opportunities in patients under contact precautions and in the general hospital population. Trained infection control personnel performed all direct evaluations.

Results: A total of 3,270 opportunities were recorded. HH compliance was statistically higher in patients on contact precautions than in the overall population (70.3% vs 60.4%; P = .0001). Critical care areas had higher HH compliance when patients were isolated by contact precautions. Medical wards were statistically lower in HH when patients were under contact precautions. Respiratory technicians had the highest HH compliance in both overall performance and in patients under contact precautions. Medical students had a lower HH compliance in both evaluations (P < .001).

Conclusions: We noted greater compliance with HH practices when patients were under contact precaution in comparison with the overall hospital population. The difference was stronger in intensive care areas and lower among medical students.

Keywords: Contact precautions; Hand hygiene; Hospital acquired infections; Infection control.