The important role of sink location in handwashing compliance and microbial sink contamination.
Handwashing is one of the most important means of reducing the spread of infection. In this study, we investigated how sink location and visibility influences handwashing and microbial contamination detected on clinical sinks in 3 pediatric intensive care units. We conclude that the visibility of sinks directly impacts on handwashing frequency and duration and also impacts on levels of bacterial contamination on and around the sink area.
Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Camelia Botnar Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Prevention and Control, London, UK. Electronic address: Elaine.cloutman-green@gosh.nhs.uk.
Elaine
E
Cloutman-Green
University College London, Department of Statistical Science, London, UK.
Oya
O
Kalaycioglu
University College London, Institute of Child Health, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Unit, London, UK; HaCIRIC, The University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Hedieh
H
Wojani
Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Camelia Botnar Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Prevention and Control, London, UK.
John C
JC
Hartley
University College London, Department of Statistical Science, London, UK.
Serge
S
Guillas
Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Camelia Botnar Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Prevention and Control, London, UK.
Deirdre
D
Malone
University College London Hospital, Department of Microbiology, London, UK.
Vanya
V
Gant
HaCIRIC, The University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Colin
C
Grey
University College London, Institute of Child Health, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Unit, London, UK.
Nigel
N
Klein
D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000639:trends*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007362:Intensive Care Units
Health care environment; Health care-associated infection; Intensive care; Multilevel analysis; Sinks