An observational study to assess hand hygiene compliance rate among health care workers at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Wearing of gloves by health-care workers (HCWs) reduces the transmission of pathogens between patient contacts. However, it is not a substitute for hand washing. The present study aimed to observe the gloving behavior versus its indications and hand hygiene (HH) compliance with and without gloves. Materials and Methods: HCWs working in intensive care units (ICUs) and acute care setup of a tertiary care hospital were observed for the use of gloves and HH practices as laid down by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results: Of a total 4301 opportunities, HH actions were performed in 2312 (53.74%) opportunities. In ICU, of 2053 opportunities, HH actions were performed in 1169 (56.94%) opportunities, which was better than other acute care settings where HH was performed in only 50.8% occasions. Out of 1989 missed opportunities where HH was not performed, in 525 occasions (26.39%) the gloves were worn. Conclusion: The rate of HH compliance was higher in ICU than other acute wards. At the same time, HH rate was lower when gloves are worn. Sensitizing HCWs about the WHO five moments of HH and glove pyramid can improve HH practices and gloving practices.