Lax Hand Hygiene Practices Plague US Hospitals

It is estimated that annually 2.5 million Americans develop healthcare-associated infections, resulting in over 90,000 deaths and costing the healthcare system an estimated $4.5 to $5.7 billion dollars. Denise M. Korniewicz, from University of Miami (Florida, USA), and colleagues observed 612 procedures at an oncology hospital to examine hand hygiene practices observed during a 16-week period that were performed by 67 healthcare providers (during all shifts). Particularly observing whether providers met the CDC definition of proper hand hygiene, which includes practices such as hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, and gloving, the team found that compliance was higher in high-risk procedures (such as drawing blood, changing surgical dressings, etc.) and when the healthcare providers were exposed to blood, as compared to those providers engaging in low-risk procedures (such as giving oral medications and checking intravenous administrations).  The researchers urge that: “The findings highlight the need to continue to push compliance with hand hygiene using innovative approaches that go beyond teaching and in-service training.”