[Evaluation of a hand hygiene technique in healthcare workers].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quality of hand hygiene in healthcare workers and the influence of wearing jewellery.


METHODS
A sample of 293 healthcare professionals of different categories and on different shifts was studied. Hand hygiene was evaluated by a fluorescent agent that allowed us to determine the areas of the hand that had been in contact with the solution. Each hand was divided into 6 zones to quantify the quality of hygiene, the maximum score was 12 points. The wearing of jewellery was quantified.


RESULTS
The mean score obtained was 8.3 (SD 2.0) out of 12 points. At least one untreated area of the hand was found in 95.2% of subjects. The results in fingers, thumbs and wrists were significantly lower than those obtained in other areas of the hand (p<.001), being dirty in over 50% of the participants. A dirty wrist was observed in 90% of those who wore a watch and in 92.7% of those wearing a bracelet,and the 84.3% of subjects who wore a ring had dirty fingers.


CONCLUSIONS
Healthcare workers did not apply the technique of hand hygiene effectively. Areas where the alcoholic solution did not act as often were: thumbs, fingers and wrist. The use of watches, bracelets and rings prevent good hygiene.
Departamento de Enfermería, Hospital de Terrassa, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain. cramon@cst.cat
C
C
Ramón-Cantón
N
N
Boada-Sanmartín
L
L
Pagespetit-Casas
D000328:Adult; D000438:Alcohols; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006225:Hand; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055498:Jewelry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D012915:Soaps
D000438:Alcohols; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012915:Soaps