Significant reductions in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and clinical isolates associated with a multisite, hand hygiene culture-change program and subsequent successful statewide roll-out.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of a multimodal, centrally coordinated, multisite hand hygiene culture-change program (HHCCP) for reducing rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia and disease in Victorian hospitals.


METHODS
A pilot HHCCP was conducted over a 24-month period (October 2004 to September 2006) in six Victorian health care institutions (4 urban, 2 rural; total beds, 2379). Subsequently, we assessed the efficacy of an identical program implemented throughout Victorian public hospitals over a 12-month period (beginning between March 2006 and July 2006).


METHODS
Rates of hand hygiene (HH) compliance; rates of MRSA disease (patients with bacteraemia and number of clinical isolates per 100 patient discharges [PD]).


RESULTS
Mean HH compliance improved significantly at all pilot program sites, from 21% (95% CI, 20%-22%) at baseline to 48% (95% CI, 47%-49%) at 12 months and 47% (95% CI, 46%-48%; range, 31%-75%) at 24 months. Mean baseline rates for the number of patients with MRSA bacteraemia and the number of clinical MRSA isolates were 0.05/100 PD per month (range, 0.00-0.13) and 1.39/100 PD per month (range, 0.16-2.39), respectively. These were significantly reduced after 24 months to 0.02/100 PD per month for bacteraemia (P = 0.035 for trend; 65 fewer patients with bacteraemia) and 0.73/100 PD per month for MRSA isolates (P = 0.003; 716 fewer isolates). Similar findings were noted 12 months after the statewide roll-out, with an increase in mean HH compliance (from 20% to 53%; P < 0.001) and reductions in the rates of MRSA isolates (P = 0.043) and bacteraemias (P = 0.09).


CONCLUSIONS
Pilot and subsequent statewide implementation of a multimodal HHCCP was effective in significantly improving HH compliance and reducing rates of MRSA infection.
Infectious Diseases and Clinical Epidemiology Department, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Lindsay.Grayson@austin.org.au
M Lindsay
ML
Grayson
Lisa J
LJ
Jarvie
Rhea
R
Martin
Paul D R
PD
Johnson
Meryanda E
ME
Jodoin
Celene
C
McMullan
Roger H C
RH
Gregory
Kaye
K
Bellis
Katie
K
Cunnington
Fiona L
FL
Wilson
Diana
D
Quin
Anne-Maree
AM
Kelly
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D014739:Victoria