Increase in hospital purchase of hand hygiene products: The importance of focusing on the right product.
Alcohol-based handrub (AHR) consumption is positively correlated with increases in hand hygiene (HH) compliance. In our 2,000-bed hospital in India, multiple awareness drives have been conducted to promote HH. This study aimed to determine the quantitative effect of these campaigns on use of HH products (soap and AHR) in the hospital. Over the last 6 years, bar soap consumption has increased by 389.15%, whereas that of AHR increased by 146.7%. We also evaluated microbial contamination of 99 bar soap and 60 liquid soap samples in our hospital for a year. Of the samples, 61 (61.6%) of the bar soaps and 2 (3.3%) of the liquid soaps were found to be contaminated with various organisms (P < .0002). To conclude, the focus should be to increase the right kind of HH product so that hospitals in developing countries procure liquid soaps instead of bar soaps for handwashing purposes.
Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Electronic address: manisha.biswal@gmail.com.
Manisha
M
Biswal
Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Amber
A
Prasad
Department of Hospital Administration, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Navneet
N
Dhaliwal
Department of Hospital Administration, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
A K
AK
Gupta
Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Neelam
N
Taneja
D004202:Disinfectants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D004501:Education, Medical; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D017053:Infection Control / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
D004202:Disinfectants
Alcohol-based handrubs; Bar soap; Contamination; Hospital use; India