Hand Hygiene Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions towards Hand Hygiene Practice Amongst Students at a Nursing College in Lesotho

Background: Hands are critical vectors for microorganisms that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Hand hygiene, being done the right way, at the right time, and being given the right priority in a healthcare setting is an effective strategy to reduce HAIs and associated costs. Different strategies have been put in place to help improve hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers; amongst them, continuous training is advised at all levels of care. Aim: This study, focusing on nursing students, aimed to describe their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards hand hygiene, highlighting their crucial role in maintaining health and preventing infections. Methods: This study was a quantitative cross-sectional study. One hundred and fourteen questionnaires were distributed; 103 were filled out and returned by willing students at Maluti Adventist College, thus a 90% response rate. Results: 62% (64) demonstrated moderate knowledge, all had positive attitudes, and 61% (63) had a positive perception towards hand hygiene. There was a significant (p-value = 0.012) association between knowledge and training. Conclusions and recommendations: These provide valuable input for enhancing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) hand hygiene multimodal strategy, the SAFE LIFE Clean YOUR HAND campaign, and healthcare workers’ teaching curriculum. All stakeholders should implement strategies that prioritize knowledge dissemination to promote effective hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers worldwide.

The state of hand rub dispensers in healthcare settings – a multicenter assessment in 19 German healthcare facilities

BackgroundHand hygiene is one of the most important hygiene measures to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Well-functioning hand rub dispensers are the foundation of hand hygiene but are often overlooked in research. As the point of origin for hand hygiene, dispensers not only promote compliance through ease of use, but also strongly influence the amount of hand rub used per disinfection. This work investigates how dispenser types and conditions affect dispensed volumes and usability.MethodsData from 5,014 wall-mounted or point-of-care dispensers was collected from 19 German healthcare facilities during installation of an electronic hand hygiene monitoring system, including dispenser type and dispensed hand rub volumes. Of these dispensers, 56.2% were metal dispensers, and the majority (89.5%) were wall-mounted. For one hospital, 946 wall-mounted dispensers were analyzed in detail regarding pump material, damages, functionality, cleanliness, and filling levels.ResultsDispensed volumes varied across and within dispenser types, ranging from 0.4 mL to 4.4 mL per full actuation, with the largest volumes generally dispensed by plastic dispensers with a preset of 1.0 to 3.0 mL per actuation. In general, most dispensers dispense more hand rub per full actuation than specified by the manufacturer. When different types of dispensers are used within a healthcare facility, vastly different volumes can be dispensed, making reliable and reproducible disinfection difficult for healthcare workers. In the detailed analysis of 946 dispensers, 27.1% had cosmetic defects, reduced performance, or were unusable, with empty disinfectant being the most common reason. Only 19.7% of working dispensers delivered their maximum volume on the first full actuation.ConclusionEven though several studies addressed the variability in dispensed volumes of hand hygiene dispensers, studies dealing with dispenser types and functionality are lacking, promoting the common but false assumption that different dispensers may be equivalent and interchangeable. Variability in dispensed volumes, coupled with frequent dispenser defects and maintenance issues, can be a major barrier to hand hygiene compliance. To support healthcare workers, more attention should be paid to ‘dispenser compliance’, selecting dispensers with similar volume ranges and proper maintenance.

Pemberdayaan Siswa SD Tentang Keterampilan Cuci Tangan di Purbowangi Buayan Kebumen

Introduction: Efforts to change health behavior to support an increase in levels are carried out through a Clean and Healthy Living Behavior development program, one of which is washing hands. The low level of parental behavior in training children to wash their hands with soap before and after eating is the reason why it is important to wash their hands. Objective: The purpose of this service was to empower students to improve hand washing skills for students at Elementary School 4 Purbowangi Kebumen. Method: This public service was conducted by providing counseling using the correct hand washing demonstration method to 94 students, the activity steps include: the staff observes the hand washing skills of students before being given treatment (pretest), then provides counseling using a demonstration method about hand washing. The next step is for the service to observe the hand washing skills of students after being given treatment (posttest). Result: The results of this community service activity showed that the majority of participants were male, 51 students (54.3%), 33 (35.1%) aged at most 10 years. Hand washing skills before and after being given the intervention improved. This is evident from the results of the average hand washing skill before the demonstration was 41.0904 (poor) and the average hand washing skill after the demonstration was 96.2234 (very good). Conclusion: Activities to empower elementary school students regarding hand washing skills went smoothly and was able to improve the skills of all students in washing their hands.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices regarding Prevention and Management of Under-five Diarrhea among mothers of Worawora Community

Background: Diarrheal illness continues to be the second greatest cause of under-five mortality worldwide. Diarrhea is responsible for roughly 1.5 million infant fatalities per year, or close to one in five. Aim: This current study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding prevention and management of under-five diarrhea among mothers of Worawora Community. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out using a total of 207 mothers with children less than 5 years. SPSS version 20 software was used for data analysis. Means, frequencies, and percentages were used for descriptive analysis and Pearson correlation for association with a set P value of 0.05. Results: The ages of the mothers ranged from 13 to 50 years, with a mean age of 27.70 ± 7.15 years. About 68.1% had good knowledge of diarrhea definition, causes, and prevention. The majority (74.4%) of the mothers had a good attitude. The majority had moderate food hygiene practices. About half (51.2%) had good hand-washing practices. About 34.3% had good home management of child diarrhea. Mothers' diarrhea prevention and management knowledge positively correlated with attitude, r(207) =.301, p < .001, hand hygiene practice, r(207) =.417, p < .001 and diarrhea management score, r(207) =.339, p < .001. Also, the attitude of respondents positively correlated with their practice scores for hand hygiene r(207) =.246, p < .001, and food hygiene r(207) =.299, p < .001. Finally, there was a significant correlation between mothers' hand hygiene practice and diarrhea management practice r(207) =.459, p < .001. Conclusion: Most of the respondents exhibited good knowledge and attitude toward under-five diarrhea management and prevention. However, the good knowledge and attitude did not translate to good practice and management in all of the respondents.

Sociodemographic Factors and Antenatal Service Utilization among Severe Acute Malnutrition Children under 2 Years of Age, Western India (Rajkot, Gujarat) – A Hospital-based Case-Control Study

Abstract Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is multifactorial including poor maternal health, sociodemographic factors, and poor quality of diet of both the mother and child. Present study was carried out to determine sociodemographic factors and antenatal service utilization for SAM occurrence. This hospital-based case-control study was carried out from April 2021 to April 2022. Cases (77) and controls (77) were matched for age and sex with 1:1 ratio. Cases were selected from Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre and controls from an immunization clinic using WHO’s Multicentric Growth Reference Study Criteria 2006. Mothers of study participants were interviewed by using semistructured questionnaires. The weight and height of study participants were measured. The odds of children having SAM increased significantly with illiterate parents, working mothers, and labor work of fathers. The absence of toilet facility at home and poor hygienic practices of mothers were significant risk factors. Mother’s <4 antenatal visits, home deliveries, and participants with low birth weight were associated with SAM. Logistic regression stated laborer fathers, poor hand washing practices of mothers, absence of toilet facility at home, and low birth weight of study participants were found independent determinants for SAM. Risk factors identified in the present study are modifiable and can be addressed through health system interventions.

Prevention of Stunting in Children and Pregnant Women Through 4 Healthy 5 Perfect Nutritious Food in Pansor Village

In Indonesia, one of the health problems that frequently arises is stunting. Currently, Indonesia is ranked 5th in the incidence of stunting in babies in the world. In Indonesia, stunting is called stunting, meaning there are obstacles to physical development and brain development in children. The prevalence of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) was 24.6%, decreasing to 8.1% compared to information from the Indonesian nutritional status survey (SSGI), where one of the villages, Pansor Village, had 39 standing babies, the aim of carrying out this research activity was To avoid the number of incidents in babies in Pansor village, the approach taken is to provide outreach activities about stunting and its consequences, explaining the dangers of stunting to children to the community, especially mothers with two bodies. Explaining the consumption of nutritious food through demonstration activities for making bonus meals, methods for implementing clean and healthy living behavior through hand washing activities to cadre mothers and mothers of two in the RT. Indeed, 75% of cadre mothers and women with two bodies in Pansor village have undertaken socialization regarding stunting, the result of dedication to the community is that the women of cadres and mothers with two bodies are able to master the movement of washing their hands and making additional food.

Empowering patients and enhancing hand hygiene: making a video about key strategies for life-saving impact

Empowering patients and enhancing hand hygiene: making a video about key strategies for life-saving impact

Magnitude of enteric pathogens associated with diarrhea and antibiotic resistance of enteric bacterial pathogens isolated among children under 5 years of age in Bule Hora town, West Guji, Ethiopia.

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide among all ages, and one of the leading causes of poor health and premature death in the developing world. Microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites, are responsible for enteric infections among children. Excessive and inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs and poor infection control practices have transformed antimicrobial resistance into a serious threat to public health worldwide. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the prevalence of enteric pathogens and the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial pathogens. Assess the prevalence of enteric pathogens associated with diarrhea in children under 5 years at the Bule Hora Health Facility in 2021. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2021 to July 2021 in a Bule Hora Health Centre and Hospital. A total of 422 children with diarrhea were included in the study in the outpatient department. Sociodemographic and associated factors were evaluated using a pre-tested questionnaire. A sufficient amount of stool specimens was collected following standard microbiological procedures. An antigen detection kit was used to diagnose rotaviruses, parasites were examined using microscopy, and bacterial identification was carried out by culture and biochemical tests. The antibiotic susceptibility test of the bacterial isolates was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The p-value less than 0.05 was declared statistically significant. The overall prevalence of enteropathogens in children under 5 years of age was 17%, with no mixed infections detected. Of this, 7.8% of the children's stool samples contained bacterial pathogens, 5% tested positive for rotavirus, and 4.2% contained intestinal parasites. Unprotected drinking water sources, poor carrier hand washing practices, and poor cleaning of utensils for child feeding were factors significantly associated with the prevalence of enteropathogens. Bacterial isolates have shown a high prevalence of resistance to amoxicillin. Therefore, it is important to take steps to reduce the spread of enteric pathogens among children under 5 years practicing good hygiene, ensuring sanitation, and providing clean drinking water. We recommend performing antimicrobial susceptibility tests before prescribing treatment to children with diarrhea.

Performance assessment of food safety systems (FSMSs and FSC) in water bottling factories in view of their contextual characteristics

Foodborne illnesses affect 30% of people in developed nations and lead to financial difficulties in less wealthy countries. Insufficient understanding of pathogens and inadequate food safety practices in water bottling facilities impede progress. To prevent illnesses, ensuring clean water, proper sanitation, and good hand hygiene are essential in order to decrease the 829,000 annual deaths related to diarrhea. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of food safety systems in water bottling factories in view of their contextual characteristics. A study was conducted in northwestern Ethiopia at water bottling factories from January 2023 to August 2023. This study used a mixed method approach to collect and analyze data through laboratory testing, observations, interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. The Kruskal‒Wallis H test was used to compare mean scores of context riskiness and food safety output across four clusters, while the Mann‒Whitney U test was used to compare means between certified and noncertified factories. In our study, 43% of the samples showed positive total plate count. The result also indicated the presence of potentially dangerous by-products of chlorine, trihalomethanes was found in bottled water. On average, the manufacturers operated in a moderate risk context. Inadequate food safety outcomes resulted from lower food safety management systems scores. Factories with insufficient Food Safety Management Systems often face challenges marked by safety protocol discrepancies, leading to higher risks of contamination and non-compliance with regulations. This assessment underscores the need for tailored interventions focusing on specific contextual barriers to improve food safety outcomes in the bottled water industry.

WHO research agenda on the role of the institutional safety climate for hand hygiene improvement: a Delphi consensus-building study

BackgroundCreating and sustaining an institutional climate conducive to patient and health worker safety is a critical element of successful multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategies aimed at achieving best practices. Repeated...

Impact of COVID-19 health precautions on asymptomatic Streptococcus pyogenes carriage in palestinian children: a pre- and post-pandemic study

BackgroundStreptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus, GAS) is a significant pathogen that causes diverse infections, ranging from pharyngitis to severe invasive diseases. Asymptomatic carriage in children is pivotal for transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic’s health measures, including mask wearing and enhanced hand hygiene, likely influenced GAS transmission dynamics. This study evaluated the impact of these precautions on the prevalence of asymptomatic pharyngeal GAS carriage among schoolchildren in the southern West Bank, Palestine.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases: pre-COVID-19 (November 2019–January 2020) and post-COVID-19 (November 2023–April 2024). Throat swabs were collected from 701 children (345 pre-COVID-19, 356 post-COVID-19) via cluster sampling. The samples were tested with the ABON Strep A rapid test and confirmed by culture. Sociodemographic, health, and household data were also collected. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression.ResultsThe prevalence of asymptomatic pharyngeal GAS carriage declined from 15.7% pre-COVID-19 to 10.4% post-COVID-19 (p = 0.038). Significant reductions were observed among urban residents (23.5–10.1%, p = 0.003) and those from medium socioeconomic backgrounds (16.0–9.1%, p = 0.008). Compared with urban residents, rural residents had lower GAS carriage rates (adjusted OR = 0.505, p = 0.023). Carriage rates also decreased among children with frequent sore throats (17.6–7.3%, p = 0.007) and those using private wells (52.5–14.9%, p < 0.001). Higher BMI was a significant risk factor (adjusted OR = 17.68, p < 0.001), whereas frequent tooth brushing (adjusted OR = 0.055, p < 0.001) and hand washing (adjusted OR = 0.367, p < 0.001) were protective factors.ConclusionsCOVID-19-related health precautions were correlated with a significant reduction in asymptomatic GAS carriage among Palestinian children. These findings suggest that public health measures, such as mask wearing and hand hygiene, can influence the transmission of respiratory pathogens. Ongoing surveillance and targeted interventions are essential for managing GAS infections, particularly in resource-limited settings.

The Relationship of Individual Characteristics and Farm Biosecurity Implementation with The Incident of Contact Dermatitis

Poultry workers risk contracting diseases due to physical or biological exposure. One such disease is contact dermatitis. This study aims to analyze the individual and the application of livestock biosecurity that can be associated with cases of contact dermatitis in cage workers. This study a descriptive-quantitative that uses a cross-sectional approach. The research was conducted at PT. X in June 2022. The sample of this study was 43 people who were taken through simple random sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The results were then tested using Chi-Square and Odds Ratio (OR) with a Confidence Level of 95%. The study showed that two variables were associated with contact dermatitis, namely cage ventilation (OR= 5.45; 95% CI: 1.21 - 24.43; P=0,020) and frequency of hand washing (OR= 2.70; 95% CI: 2.57 - 282.99; P=0,001). Meanwhile, variables that were not significantly related were age (P=0.306), gender (P=0.206), length of work (p=0.698), floor (P=1.000), and PPE usage (P=0.245). Poor environmental quality and personal hygiene practices could affect contact dermatitis in workers. Therefore, efforts are needed, such as occupational safety and health education for workers, routine health checks, and environmental inspections at PT. X.

The environmental microbial retrieving assessment of cell-processing facilities for cell therapy in a hospital laboratory.

Cell therapy represents a promising treatment modality. A critical component in the production of cell therapy products is maintaining the sterility of cell therapy clean rooms (CTCRs). This study aimed to evaluate the environmental microbial load within CTCRs. We systematically monitored microbial load in CTCRs, following established guidelines. Cultured microbial samples underwent metagenomic sequencing, and alpha and beta diversity analyses, functional annotation, and resistance gene profiling were performed using various bioinformatics tools to assess microbial diversity and function. From November 2023 to January 2024, we collected 42 environmental microbial colony samples from various sources within the CTCR and performed metagenomic sequencing on 39 samples. Alpha diversity analysis revealed no significant differences among surface, settle_plate, and airborne categories, but significant disparities within surface subgroups were revealed. Beta diversity analysis showed notable differences between surface and airborne categories and among surface subgroups. Species distribution analysis identified Bacillus as the predominant genus on surfaces. Functional annotation and resistance gene analysis indicated distinct resistance patterns, with significant variations between subgroups, such as microscopes and transfer windows, and hands and other Grade_B environments. Resistance to hydrogen peroxide was notably higher in the transfer window group. These findings highlight the importance of stringent disinfection protocols and enhanced hand hygiene to maintain sterility in CTCRs. These findings provide valuable insights for implementing effective measures to maintain cleanliness throughout CTCRs. The annotation and study of resistance genes can help rapidly identify methods to control cellular contamination under circumstances of environmental microbial pollution.IMPORTANCEMaintaining the sterility of cell therapy clean rooms (CTCRs) is crucial for the production of safe and effective cell therapy products. Our study systematically evaluated the environmental microbial load within CTCRs, revealing significant microbial diversity and distinct resistance patterns to disinfection methods. These findings underscore the need for stringent disinfection protocols and enhanced hand hygiene practices to ensure CTCR sterility. By identifying key microbial species and their resistance genes, our research provides essential insights into controlling contamination and safeguarding the production environment, ultimately contributing to the reliability and success of cell therapy treatments.

Preventing perioperative infections: a call to action for anesthesiologists

Purpose of review Surgical site infections (SSI) are one of the most costly complications and hospital organizations are promoting multidisciplinary approaches to address this harm. Anesthesiologists are increasingly recognized as key players influencing surgical outcomes and patient safety, and play a key role in preventing SSIs. Recent findings Recent guidelines and strategies to prevent SSI are focused on the areas which anesthesiologists can impact including antimicrobial prophylaxis, proper hand hygiene, decontamination of environmental surfaces and operating room equipment coming in direct contact with patients. Summary Timely interventions, including appropriate antibiotics’ administration, practicing sterile and aseptic techniques when performing intraoperative procedures and handling medications are impactful steps in the process of improving rates of SSIs. Multidisciplinary participation in local and regional collaborative initiatives to improve adherence to best practices as well as integrated education of all the stakeholders are some of the principles of patient-centered care described in our review.

Medical Healthcare Student's Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Hand Hygiene and Its Relation to Patient Safety - A Global Scoping Review.

For more than a century, Hand hygiene (HH) has been known to be the most cost-effective hygienic method to minimize infection transmission and risk in healthcare settings. Even though 50% of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can be prevented with proper HH, globally 7 per 100 patients from acute-care hospitals in high-income countries (HIC) and 15 per 100 patients in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) acquire at least one HAI during their hospital stay. Even though medical healthcare students do not have the primary responsibility of providing patient care, it is necessary to train, assess, and monitor HH as their interaction with patients could lead to an increased number of HAIs. By conducting this global scoping review, we aim to summarize the global trends surrounding the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of medical healthcare students regarding HH, and how it affects patient safety. We followed the five stages of Arksey and O'Malley's Scoping Review Methodology. The literature search was done in three databases, specifically, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed. Original published research in credible journals in English conducted between 2012 and 2023 discussing HH amongst medical healthcare students all over the world were included. Twenty-three studies were included in the final analysis. The overall knowledge of medical students regarding HH was low, with some studies reporting scores as low as 10.1%. However, the attitude towards HH was generally positive, with mean scores ranging from 55% to 93%. Notably, nursing students and females exhibited better attitudes and self-reported HH practices. Furthermore, studies indicated that providing training on HH resulted in an increase in positive attitudes towards and improved practices of HH. By focusing on training and facilitating improved HH practices, future generations of doctors and nurses can contribute to minimizing HAIs and enhancing patient safety. Standardized approaches and comprehensive data collection are crucial for implementing effective HH interventions.

COVID-19 hand hygiene practices and its barriers among health care workers in a low-resource setting: a cross-sectional study in Nigeria

Abstract Background Poor hand hygiene (HH) among health care workers (HCWs) in low-resource healthcare settings has continued to increase the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, adherence, and barriers to HH practices among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Methods The study was an online cross-sectional survey using a tailored questionnaire distributed through chain referral sampling among southern Nigerian HCWs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (February to August 2020). The primary outcomes were knowledge, attitude, adherence to HH guidelines, and the barriers limiting compliance with the guidelines. Data were analysed using percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. The study timeline was from 15 April to 31 July 2020. Results Four hundred and fifty-four HCWs (236 males and 218 females) participated in the study. The participants had a moderate knowledge of standard HH protocol (mean ± SD) 62.45 ± 10.82%, positive attitude 84.34 ± 11.32%, and high adherence to the standard guidelines 81.21 ± 9.49%. There was no significant difference in knowledge, attitude, and adherence across the healthcare professions. Increasing age (β = 0.186, p &lt; 0.003) and knowledge (β = 0.229, p &lt; 0.001), and decreasing negligence (β = − 0.178, p = 0.004), and forgetfulness (β = − 0.159, p = 0.012) were the significant predictors of effective HH practices. Conclusion Nigerian HCWs had moderate knowledge, a positive attitude, and adhered to the standard HH practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the major barriers were institutional-based factors such as the inadequate supply of HH items, competing job demands, emergencies, increased workload, and personal characteristics such as age, poor knowledge, negligence, and forgetfulness. We recommend that hospital management provide their staff with adequate HH materials and continued infectious disease training.

Barriers to Effective Infection Prevention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.

Infection prevention (IP) behaviors such as hand hygiene (HH) and mobile device disinfection are important to reduce the risk of infection transmission from both family members and hospital staff to critically ill neonates. To inform the design of educational interventions to improve both patient family and staff IP behaviors, we engaged separate groups of nurses and family members to understand perceptions about the spread of infection and barriers to implementing effective IP strategies. This was a qualitative study using focus groups to gather data from neonatal nurses and patient family members. Data were triangulated with hospital-wide survey data and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Twelve nurses and 4 patient family members participated. Themes related to communication about IP between staff and family members emerged: stakeholders expressed discomfort with the timing and nature of just-in-time HH education. These communication challenges contributed to stress levels within the neonatal intensive care unit. This finding was reflected in the hospital-wide survey. Steps should be taken to improve communication about IP behaviors between patient family members and frontline staff. Reducing nurse burden of providing just-in-time HH reminders to patient family members through increased IP education may decrease stress and facilitate IP behaviors. This has the potential to decrease infection spread and improve patient outcomes. The development of interventions targeting stakeholder communication is therefore warranted, but additional research is needed to understand the timing and process for delivery of the educational material.

Removal of virus from hands: a study on the role of washing and drying

Proper hand hygiene is highly important to control pathogens' transmission. Although the effect of washing and drying on hands' bacterial contamination has been reported, studies on viruses are scarce. To assess the viral load of artificially contaminated hands after washing and after drying. 30 volunteers filled a questionnaire about hand hygiene and participated in microbial assays, testing five different drying approaches, using the whole hand methodology to quantify viruses on hands. Bacterial assays were also performed for comparison purposes. For both virus and bacteria contaminations, the washing step promoted a significant reduction of the microbial load, while the drying step only promoted slight reductions regardless of the drying method used. Moreover, hand dryers and paper towels didn't induce the re-contamination of washed hands. Hand washing promoted a reduction of the microbial load in hands, while none of the different drying methods significantly reduced hands microbial load.

Infection prevention and control in long-term care facilities in Florida: A needs assessment survey

Although several surveys of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices have been conducted in the United States, none have focused on the state of Florida, which has the fourth-largest number of certified nursing facilities in the country. A needs assessment survey was conducted to better understand the specific needs and practices of individuals responsible for IPC in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Florida. In November and December of 2022, a 90-question online survey was distributed to individuals responsible for IPC activities at 3,690 LTCFs in Florida. After omitting incomplete responses, 304 survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Survey responses regarding hand hygiene, sharps safety, and staff training reflect compliance with recommended IPC practices. Staffing shortages for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants were high among respondents (30%), while few reported shortages of personal protective equipment (5%). Only 11% of respondents state their facility requires flu vaccines, despite the high-risk environment of LTCFs. Concerning the built environment, the results suggest infection preventionists have limited awareness of the scope of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in their facilities. Some areas of compliance with IPC best practices were noted, but multiple opportunities for education and training on IPC best practices were identified.

Healthcare workers’ perceptions about infection prevention and control in Latin America

BackgroundLimited information exists regarding healthcare workers’ (HCWs) perceptions about infection prevention and control (IPC) in Latin America. MethodsWe conducted an electronic voluntary anonymous survey to assess HCWs’ perceptions towards IPC in 30 hospitals in Latin America during August-September 2022. Nurses, physicians, and environmental cleaning (EVC) staff were prioritized for recruitment. ResultsOverall, 1,340 HCWs completed the survey. Of these, 28% were physicians, 49% nurses, 8% EVC staff, and 15% had “other” roles. Self-compliance with hand hygiene (HH) and prevention bundles was perceived to be high by 95% and 89% of respondents, respectively; however, ratings were lower when asked about compliance by their peers (reported as high by 81% and 75%, respectively). Regular training on IPC and access to healthcare-associated infections (HAI) rates were more limited among physicians than other HCWs (e.g., 87% of EVC staff and 45% of physicians reported training upon hiring and thereafter, 60% of nurses and 51% of physicians reported regular access to HAI rate reports). ConclusionsWe identified several opportunities to strengthen IPC practices in Latin American hospitals, including improving HCW education and training on IPC and their awareness of HAI rates and compliance with prevention measures.