Handwashing compliance in a French university hospital: new perspective with the introduction of hand-rubbing with a waterless alcohol-based solution.
The baseline compliance with handwashing in a French university hospital was as low as the compliance rates reported in other countries, i.e., less than 50%. By introducing the use of hand-rubbing with an alcoholic solution, as a substitution method for both handwashing with soap and handwashing with an antiseptic agent, we significantly improved hand-cleansing compliance. Despite these encouraging results, mainly due to the accessibility of these non-aqueous products, three major obstacles remain before a wide acceptance by healthcare workers: distrust in terms of efficacy, distrust in terms of skin tolerance and lack of knowledge on hand-cleansing indications.
Girou
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Unité d'hygiène et Prévention de l'Infection, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Hôpitaux de Paris, Créteil, France. emmanuelle. girou@hmn.ap-hop-paris.fr
Oppein
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D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005602:France; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012915:Soaps; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017749:Total Quality Management
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D012915:Soaps; D000431:Ethanol