Volume 29-01
1 January 2003

[Table of Contents]

PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACTS - ALCOHOL-BASED
HAND DISINFECTION TO REDUCE
HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS 

Hand hygiene is the single most important measure to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), but compliance with recommended instructions is often poor. Hand hygiene practices were monitored by observational surveys before and during a three- year campaign to improve hand hygiene in a Swiss teaching hospital. Compliance with recommended guidelines improved from 48% before the campaign to 66% at the end of the campaign. This improvement was largely due to increased use of hand disinfection (with an alcohol-based handrub solution containing chlorhexidine and skin emollients) at the bedside. The frequency of handwashing with soap and water remained unchanged. The prevalence of HAIs and incidence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission was reduced significantly during the three years of the campaign. (Pittet D, Hugonnet S, Harbarth S et al. Effectiveness of a hospital-wide programme to improve compliance with hand hygiene. Lancet 2000;356:1307-12.) 

NZ Public Health Rep Editorial note 

A notable feature of this study was that the improvement in hand hygiene practices was sustained. Usually, any improvements after such a campaign are only temporary. In addition, the study results support the recommendation from the UK handwashing initiative to investigate the possible benefit of promoting bedside, alcohol- based handrub to improve hand hygiene compliance. Hand disinfection reduces hand contamination more than handwashing in certain clinical situations, and handrubs offer the advantage of being less time-consuming.
 

Source:     New Zealand Public Health Report, Vol 8, No 6, 2001.