title: Alcohol-based hand disinfection: a more robust hand-hygiene method in an intensive care unit.
abstract: This study involved observation of hand-hygiene behaviour and evaluation of the effect of alcohol-based hand disinfection and handwashing with plain liquid soap on microbial flora. The study was performed in a combined medical and surgical intensive care unit. We demonstrated a crude compliance of hand hygiene of 50.4%, which was only performed adequately in 20.8% of cases. Of this group, handwashing and hand-disinfection procedures were performed properly 34.0% and 71.6% of the time, respectively. Hand samples for bacteriological examinations with the glove juice method demonstrated that whilst handwashing was sensitive to the way in which hand hygiene was performed, alcohol-based hand disinfection was less sensitive to such performance. Our study demonstrated that alcohol-based hand disinfection is a robust hand-hygiene method with many advantages in a practical setting. It is very feasible for use in hospital wards.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, 1474 Nordbyhagen, Norway. chtv@ahus.no
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tvedt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bukholm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000438:Alcohols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000592:standards; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D009664:Norway; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012915:Soaps / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000592:standards; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D012915:Soaps; D013501:Surface-Active Agents