Hand Hygiene Practices Research Articles

Assessment of airborne infection control practices at health care facilities of Tumkur District, Karnataka: A descriptive study

IntroductionTuberculosis (TB) is a major health hazard in India and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Airborne transmission of infectious disease is a major public health concern. Adherence to the airborne infection control (AIC) is crucial to prevent spread of TB among patients who visit health care facilities and among the health care staff. ObjectivesTo assess the airborne infection control practices at health care facilities of Tumkur Methodology: This descriptive study was conducted in 85 public health institutes in 5 TB units of Tumkur. Data was collected using pre-tested; semi-structured questionnaire through personal interview, verification of records and inspection using WHO check-list. ResultsThe present study showed infection control committee and infection control plan were present in 97.65% and 90.59%, clinical staff underwent periodic TBIC training in 91.76% of PHIs. Waiting area and sputum sample collection area were well-ventilated in 97.65% & 97.65% of PHIs. Health workers practiced hand hygiene in 90.59%, PPEs were available in 85.06% PHIs. ConclusionThe study concludes that, airborne infection control measures which includes administrative, environmental, and use of personal protective equipment were satisfactory among the PHIs but still there is scope for improvement.

Relationship between Level of Knowledge and 5 moment Hand Hygiene Practice among Assistant Healthcare in Malaysia Teaching Hospital.

Hand hygiene is a handwashing method that significantly lowers the likelihood of pathogens (dangerous germs) on the hands. While assistant healthcare workers are part of the healthcare team, they always deal with patients' care but did not get proper training like nurses or doctors before becoming assistant healthcare This study is to assess the relationship between level of knowledge and five moments hand hygiene practice among assistants healthcare in one of the teaching hospitals in Malaysia. A cross-sectional research methodology was used; 154 Assistants healthcarewere chosen using random number generators after the sample size was calculated. The Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Hand Hygiene questionnaire used was adopted from WHO publications. The ANOVA revealed a significant effect of Level of Knowledge on Level of Practice (F(1, 152) = 3.416, p = 0.006). Specifically, for each unit increase in Level of Knowledge, Level of Practice increased by 57.725 units (β = 57.725, p = 0.006). These findings emphasise the need for targeted interventions and training programmes aimed at bridging the knowledge-practice divide and eventually raising hand hygiene compliance in the medical setting

Assessment of water, sanitation and hand hygiene practices in rural households of Tamil Nadu: A cross-sectional study.

Water is a basic human right essential to all for sustainable development. Sanitation is one of the determinants of quality of life and the human development index. Drinking unsafe water impairs health through illnesses such as diarrhoea, and untreated excreta contaminates ground waters and surface waters used for drinking, bathing and household purposes. To assess the existing facilities and practices related to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene among household members in the rural population of Tamil Nadu and to assess whether accessibility and availability of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation under sustainable development goal 6 is being achieved in the rural population of Tamil Nadu. This community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 200 households in the rural field practice area of the Medical College and Hospital, Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. The participants were interviewed using a predesigned semi-structured questionnaire on their existing water, sanitation, and hand washing facilities and practices. Our study observed that 71.5% of households had piped water supply into their dwellings, 82% were using sanitary latrines and 28% had closed drainage for draining wastewater. Twenty-eight percent were using soap and water for hand-washing before food, and 82.5% were doing hand-washing with soap after using the toilet. In our study, the association between sanitary practices and education, occupation and socioeconomic status was statistically significant. Our study emphasized the need for strengthening health education and behaviour change communication regarding sanitation and hand hygiene practices.

The Relationship of Motivation with The Level of Nurses' Compliance in Performing Hand Hygiene in The Surgical and Internal Partition Areas of Raden Mattaher Hospital Jambi

Hand hygiene is a program carried out by WHO to overcome HAIs. The implementation of this program is influenced by various things such as nurse motivation and compliance. Efforts to prevent HAIs that health workers can take are to increase their ability and motivation by implementing standard precautions, namely practicing hand hygiene. Motivation is needed by nurses to comply with the implementation of hand hygiene. This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between motivation and nurses' compliance in carrying out hand hygiene. The design of this research is descriptive correlative with a cross sectional approach. The sample in this study was taken using a total sampling technique, namely 71 nurses. The variables studied were motivation and compliance in carrying out hand hygiene. Data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires and observation sheets. Data were analyzed using Spearman Rank Correlation with significance α≤0.05. The research results showed that of the 71 respondents who had good motivation, 44 (83.0%) respondents complied with hand hygiene and 9 (17.0%) respondents did not comply with hand hygiene. Respondents with moderate motivation were 18 (100.0%) respondents who did not comply with hand hygiene. Meanwhile, there were no nurses found with less motivation. The results of the analysis of the relationship between motivation and the level of nurse compliance in carrying out hand hygiene showed that the p-value was 0.01. There is a relationship between motivation and nurse compliance in carrying out hand hygiene. Most nurses have good motivation and are obedient in carrying out hand hygiene. However, there are still nurses who have moderate motivation and are not compliant in carrying out hand hygiene. Therefore, further efforts need to be made to increase nurses' motivation and compliance in carrying out hand hygiene.

Evaluation of hand hygiene practices of health care workers in tertiary care hospital by systematic hand hygiene audits

: Hand hygiene (HH) holds a pivotal role in infection control. However, compliance with hand hygiene has remained low worldwide. Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) incidence is rising in most healthcare facilities. It is postulated that around 30% of HAI can be reduced by following strict hand hygiene protocols by healthcare workers (HCWs). This study was done to evaluate the level of compliance of healthcare personnel in our tertiary care hospital with respect to appropriate hand hygiene practices by employing HH audits. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital over six months. A single‑ observer direct observation technique was used to collect the HH compliance data conducted by trained Infection control nurses. HCWs, including doctors, nurses, CRMIs and technicians, were observed for compliance in all the critical areas, outpatient and inpatient sections across all departments. The HH audit form designed based on the WHO's HH audit tool kit was used in the study. The audits were conducted randomly in all the areas for at least 20 minutes per day. : A total of 583 HCWs were observed for the Hand Hygiene Compliance audit. The overall HH compliance rate was 67.88%, with doctors at 74.31%, followed by nurses at 70.42%. Compliance was observed in OBG/Labour ward at 78.7% and the oncology ward at 78.5%. WHO moments-specific hand hygiene adherence showed the least compliance rate of 55% for moment 1, followed by moment 5 with 58.9%. Best compliance was observed for moment 3, with 79.2%.: The overall hand hygiene compliance was comparatively better in our study. Specific measures such as improved facilities, training and monitoring are needed to attain good H`H compliance.

Interaction between overconfidence effects and training formats in nurses’ education in hand hygiene

BackgroundUndergraduate training in hand hygiene is a keystone of infection control. Several studies have shown overconfidence effects in hand hygiene practices, which can impair metacognition. We hypothesized that overconfidence might be prevalent in the early education stages of nursing students and that these effects could be reduced through frequent interactive learning formats, such as learning groups.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire with 196 German nursing students, including general, surgical, and anesthetic nursing specializations.ResultsOverconfidence was observed in nursing students across all specialties and years of education. The cluster analyses showed three different types of learners: two characterized by overconfidence and one demonstrating justifiable confidence. Furthermore, the moderation analysis indicated that providing feedback and promoting metacognition regarding students’ learning achievements could mitigate overplacement, particularly through the frequent implementation of interactive teaching formats.DiscussionDespite some limitations, these findings highlight the prevalence of overconfidence effects in nursing students, the presence of different learning profiles, and the importance of incorporating feedback within interactive learning formats concerning hand hygiene. Accordingly, educators need to be trained and supervised to deliver these learning formats and provide feedback to students effectively.

Evaluation of Vulnerabilities for the Spread of Carbapenem Resistant Organisms at Five Hospitals in India

Background: The 2022 WHO global survey on infection prevention and control (IPC) exposes significant gaps in IPC in the WHO Southeast Asia region. A better understanding of IPC vulnerabilities will inform improvement initiatives. We describe an evaluation of IPC practices known to prevent and contain carbapenem-resistant organisms (CROs) at hospitals participating in the United States Centers for Disease Control Global Action in Healthcare Network –Antimicrobial Resistance in India. Prior hospital evaluations suggest resistance to carbapenems among gram-negative isolates is up to 45%. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods evaluation including cross-sectional surveys, semi-structured interviews, and site observations at five hospitals (one government, two private tertiary care, and two private teaching) located in three cities. The number of hospital beds ranged from 362 to 2,011. Hospital and IPC program characteristics, and CRO prevention and containment activities were examined virtually. Site observations focused on hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, personal protective equipment (PPE), CRO containment practices and use of water for patient care. Results: All sites had IPC programs with established policies and qualified IPC staff. The IPC nurse-to-bed ratio ranged from 1:73 to 1:432 (mean, 1:209). Due to the integral role of microbiology staff in IPC at these hospitals, the two departments had strong communication channels associated with CRO identification. Screening for CRO colonization, if done, targeted patients from outside hospitals. Three of the five hospitals routinely implemented contact precautions for patients with identified CROs, displayed isolation signage at the bedside, and provided adequate PPE at point-of-use; however, all sites reported barriers to effective isolation and/or cohorting patients with CROs. Timely communication of CROs to clinical staff varied and no sites effectively relayed CRO status upon patient discharge to another facility. IPC teams identified gaps in environmental cleaning procedures and practices related to medical devices and equipment. All sites used alternatives to tap water for clinical care and sink etiquette was evident. Each IPC team performed audits of patient isolation and hand hygiene practices. Despite the considerable proportion of IPC resources dedicated to daily education and feedback in clinical areas, the IPC teams reported that improvement was often difficult to achieve. Conclusion: Given the high burden of CROs and limited IPC resources, detailed knowledge of IPC opportunities for improvement will help hospitals target novel interventions for CRO prevention and containment. Further investigation of colonization rates and effective performance improvement methods in these settings is needed.Disclosure: Patricia Simner: Research Contracts: BD Diagnostics, OpGen Inc., Qiagen Sciences Inc, T2 Diagnostics, Accelerate Diagnostics; Research Collaborators:Ares Genetics, CosmosID, IDbyDNA, Illumina; Consulting: OpGen Inc., BD Diagnostics, Shionogi Inc., GeneCapture, Qiagen Sciences Inc, Entasis, Day Zero Diagnostics, Next Gen Diagnostics

Connecting Pathogen Transmission and Performance of the WHO’s ‘My 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene’ in a High-Fidelity Simulation

Background: The World Health Organization launched ‘Your 5 moments for hand hygiene’ to identify when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Performing hand hygiene correctly is necessary to decrease pathogen transfer, though little research has assessed the effectiveness of all 5 moments. Methods: Registered nurses (n=42) participated in a standardized, one-hour high-fidelity patient care simulation that were recorded via a head-mounted camera. The simulation involved two patients, each requiring four clinical care tasks (e.g., indwelling Foley catheter insertion, stool sample collection). Transmission data was obtained from the simulations using four genetic variants of bacteriophage λ. Before each simulation, variants were applied to unique locations on two manikins: patient A’s wound, patient A’s stool, patient B’s groin, and patient B’s stool. After each simulation, we sampled the patients, nurse, and high-touch environmental surfaces to determined bacteriophage identity of positive samples. For each moment, hand hygiene performance was the total time the nurse practiced hand hygiene across opportunities over the total recommended time (15 seconds per opportunity). Positive samples were categorized as 1) nurse contamination, 2) patient critical site(s) contamination, 3) high touch surface contamination from the same patient, or 4) high touch surface contamination from the other patient. To compare nurse’s performance of each of the 5 moments, we used a Friedman test and then a Wilcoxon test for pairwise comparisons. To assess the relationship between the four types of transmission outcomes and hand hygiene performance of the 5 moments, we performed linear regressions and calculated 95% confidence intervals by bootstrapping the original cases. Results: Performance of moments 1 (Before patient contact: 9.49%), 4 (After patient contact: 13.11%), and 5 (After contact with patient’s surroundings: 13.66%) were significantly higher than moments 2 (Before clean or aseptic task: 2.72%) and 3 (After bodily fluid exposure: 4.22%; p < 0 .05). Moment 2 perfomance, furthermore, was significantly lower than moment 3 (Figure 1). Only moment 2’s performance was significantly related to transmission; specifically, performance was negatively related to critical site contamination (B= -0.03, CI 95%: -0.06 – -0.01); Table 1. Conclusions: Moment 2performance was the lowest of all 5 moments and was the only moment that demonstrated evidence of relationship with pathogen transmission, specifically critical site contamination. Of all the 5 moments, this moment is most directly related to HAIs. Further research should investigate why moment 2 performance is so low.

Improving Data Quality from a Hematology Unit Hand Hygiene Observation Program

Background: For United States healthcare programs to be fully compliant with Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) #7, organizations must implement and maintain a hand hygiene (HH) program that follows either the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the current World Health Organization (WHO) HH guidelines. Joint Commission standard IC.03.01.01 requires these organizations to provide metrics that evaluate the effectiveness of their program and program goals. Our center utilizes the direct observation method with the use of over 550 Hand Hygiene Observers (HHO) to collect our HH compliance. HHO are trained with a computer-based course that requires passing a post-education test. During fiscal year 2023 (FY23), Infection Control surveillance noted an increase in hospital-acquired infections (HAI) Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) on our hematologic malignancy units (HM), which initiated an Infection Control (IC) investigation into possible causes. Increased rounding by our Infection Preventionist (IP) observed that HH compliance was much lower than unit HHO reported rates. Inquiries into this data discrepancy revealed barriers to accurate reporting, including HHO having low confidence in identifying and reporting non-compliant behavior. To that end, we conducted mandatory re-training of all HM HHO with the primary goal of improving the quality of our HH compliance data and addressing barriers with non-compliance reporting. Our secondary goal was to identify areas of improvement in institutional HH rates. Methods: In August 2023, 252 HM staff and HHO received detailed, in-person retraining by the HM IP. Training included reviewing the discrepancy in HHO and IP observations, potential causes of discrepancy, most commonly missed HH opportunities, examples of correct and incorrect HH practices, and addressing staff questions. Results: Following mandatory re-training of HM HHO, HH compliance for our HM units from September 2023 – December 2023 ranged from 89% to 98%, with increased reporting of non-compliance (Figure 1). A detailed dashboard was created that focused on HM HH compliance, containing the HHO observations and non-compliant reports. Conclusion: A one-time in-person retraining of HM HHO by our IP has led to an improvement in data quality, which is imperative for future quality improvement initiatives. Improving our HH data quality allowed IC to identify and provide actionable feedback to HM leaders, create targeted interventions to improve HAI rates, and improve patient safety. Future goals include retaining of all HHO and a HH campaign to ensure patient safety across our institution.

Knowledge, attitude and practice on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and COVID-19 among households in rural Bangladesh

Enhanced water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions can significantly reduce the incidence of communicable diseases and deaths related to diarrhea by up to 65%. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advocates regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as an effective measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to assess rural Bangladeshi households' perceptions and knowledge concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their understanding, attitudes, and practices regarding water, sanitation, and hygiene. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2020 and December 2020 to evaluate knowledge and practices related to safe water, sanitation, personal hygiene, and COVID-19 in rural Bangladesh. Self-administered questionnaires, pre-tested for reliability, were utilized to collect self-reported data, which were subsequently analyzed descriptively. Of the study participants, 66.78% were female, with a mean age of 40. The majority (92.36%) demonstrated adequate knowledge of personal hygiene, although 66.78% had not received hygiene education, and a significant proportion reported low levels of hygiene practices (17.28%). Nearly all respondents (98%) reported having access to a pit latrine, either with or without a seal, yet 63.12% indicated that their toilets become unusable during floods, and 29% admitted to practicing open defecation. While nearly all respondents were aware of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, only 46% had a comprehensive understanding of its transmission dynamics. Moreover, knowledge about preventive measures against the pandemic was found to be limited. Despite understanding the importance of handwashing, reported hand hygiene practices were inadequate among rural households. Additionally, a majority reported inadequate management of child feces, household waste, and sludge tanks. While awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic was high, a substantial proportion of respondents lacked understanding of its transmission and prevention methods. Moreover, fewer respondents reported using hand sanitizer when venturing outside for work. Future research should explore the impact of these behaviors on health outcomes and propose targeted interventions to improve hygiene practices. Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 12(1 & 2): 11-21, 2023 (June & December)

DIRECTING FUNCTION OF NURSE MANAGER AND ASSOCIATE NURSE'SCOMPLIANCE IN PRACTICING HAND HYGIENE

Hand hygiene is a general term that applies to wash hands with antiseptic and handrub antiseptic. The implementation of operationalstandards of handwashing compliance procedures requires directing function from the Nurse Manager. The purpose of this studywas to determine the relationship between directing function of Nurse manager and associate nurse compliance in performing ha ndhygiene. The method used in this study was descriptive correlation with cross sectional approach. The population was allimplementing nurses at Inpatient Room of Ungaran General Hospital as many as 82 nurses. All samples were taken by totalsampling. The collecting data tool used a questionnaire of nurse’s perception on directing function of nurse manager and observationsheet on hand hygiene. The research results showed that most of nurse manager performed good directing function as many as 76people (92.7%), most of the nurses were compliance in practicing patient safety: five moment hand hygiene as many as 78 people(95,1%). The result of statistical test using Fisher's Exact Test obtained p value of 0,001 (α = 0,05). There is a correlatio n betweennurse’s perception on directing function of nurse manager with associate nurse compliance in practicing hand hygiene in inpatientroom of Ungaran General Hospital. Nurses need to increase patient safety awareness and compliance hand hygiene to minimize th eincidence of nosocomial infections.

Breast Milk and Hand Hygiene Practices among Breastfeeding Mothers in Tertiary Health Institutions in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State South-East Nigeria

Introduction: Breast milk and hand hygiene are very important aspect for breastfeeding mothers. This is because of the role breast milk plays in the early stage of development of the infant. Though breast milk is very essential for infants, its quality can be compromised when proper hygiene practices are not observed by the breastfeeding mothers. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the knowledge and practices of breast milk and hand hygiene among breastfeeding mothers in tertiary health institutions in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Method: The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design with a purposive sampling method to select 215 breastfeeding mothers who visited two tertiary health institutions for immunization. Data among were analyzed. Ethical approval and permission were obtained from the participating hospitals and University of Port Harcourt Ethics Committee, the institution the author affiliates. Result: The result revealed that 71.3% and 75.3% had good knowledge of breast milk and hand hygiene while 2.3% and 1.4% had poor knowledge. The study noted that 58.1% and 60.9% of the breastfeeding mothers practices breast milk and hand hygiene respectively while 21.4% and 9.8% had poor practice. The knowledge of breast milk and hand hygiene was significantly associated with practices of breast milk and hand hygiene. The result further revealed that only knowledge of breast milk hygiene was significantly associated with parity while knowledge of hand hygiene, practices of breast milk and hand hygiene was not significantly associated with parity. Conclusion: Though there is high knowledge of breast milk and hand hygiene among the breastfeeding mothers but the knowledge did not reflect with the practice. There is therefore a need for continuous education of the breastfeeding mothers on the practice of milk and hand hygiene and its importance to the growing infants.

Italian National Surveillance of Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Consumption in a Healthcare Setting-A Three-Year Analysis: 2020-2022.

Background/Objectives: Hand hygiene (HH) is pivotal in mitigating infectious disease transmission and enhancing public health outcomes. This study focuses on detailing the national surveillance system for alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) consumption in healthcare facilities across Italy, presenting results from a comprehensive three-year evaluation period, from 2020 to 2022. It aims to delineate this surveillance system and report on ABHR consumption trends in various Regions/Autonomous Provinces (Rs/APs). Methods: ABHR consumption data, collected through the ABHR Italian national surveillance system, coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), were analyzed. Statistical methods, e.g., the Mann-Whitney test, were used to assess trends in ABHR consumption, expressed in liters per 1000 patient days (L/1000PD). Results: The results show significant variation in ABHR consumption across Rs/APs and over the years studied. National median ABHR consumption decreased from 2020 to 2022, with a significant reduction from a median of 24.5 L/1000PD in 2020 to 20.4 L/1000PD in 2021 and 15.6 L/1000PD in 2022. Conclusions: The decline in ABHR consumption raises concerns about the ongoing adherence to HH practices in Italian healthcare settings. This underscores the essential role that systematic ABHR monitoring and improved surveillance play in enhancing HH compliance, suggesting that sustained and strategic efforts are fundamental to uphold high standards of hygiene and to effectively respond to fluctuating ABHR usage trends over time. Further research is needed to explore barriers to effective ABHR use and to develop targeted strategies to improve HH practices.

Quality Assurance and Prevention of COVID-19 Before Admission in Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit in Long-Term Care Facilities.

This quality assurance study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic to describe the profile of patients aged 65 years and older admitted to a transition unit in a long-term care (LTC) facility and to evaluate the impact of admission modalities, compliance with screening and hand hygiene practices, risk of COVID-19, and time to access a geriatric rehabilitation unit (GRU). A prospective study was conducted using administrative and medical records from three Montreal public LTC facilities offering a rehabilitation program for 312 patients admitted between May 2020 and February 2021. The results are reported for the entire sample and compared according to the mode of admission. The incidence of COVID-19 during the transition unit stay was estimated to be 11 cases or 3.5% in 14 days. Assessment of screening compliance showed deficiencies for 41.3% of patients, and the frequency of hand hygiene audits was not strictly adhered to. More COVID-19 cases were recorded in patients admitted to the transition unit by bed availability than in the cohort mode. The time to access a rehabilitation unit was 7.2 days or 23.5% shorter for patients admitted by bed availability. The study, conducted from a continuous practice improvement perspective, showed that the implementation of a transition unit in the LTC facilities helped control the transmission of COVID-19, but also revealed flaws in screening and hand hygiene practices.

Development and evaluation of prevention bundle for neonatal healthcare-associated infections: an interventional study

Background Neonatal healthcare-associated infection (HAI) globally is the leading preventable cause of neonatal mortality. Neonatal mortality in India is also very high. Considering that HAIs can be prevented globally, there are disparities in resources; the current study aimed at developing locally feasible and effective prevention bundles for neonatal HAIs. Methods A mixed-method study was conducted at one tertiary care teaching hospital's level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The study explores the causes of neonatal HAIs, current processes, benchmark practices, gaps in current practices with HAIs, root-cause analysis and system process mapping, and failure mode effect analysis. Observations, interviews, brainstorming activities, and a survey were conducted. Written and audio-video recorded prevention bundle was developed and implemented using a quasi-experimental study design. Results Process standardisation, healthcare worker training, hand hygiene practices, nursing care process and vascular access process were identified as key improvement areas to prevent neonatal HAIs. Out of eighteen identified processes, three processes were standardised. All the healthcare providers were trained at three-time intervals of three months each. After implementing the prevention bundle, there was a significant decline in the rate of HAIs, reducing it from 9.6 to 7.0 per 100 admissions >48 hours. The bacteraemia rate fell from 5.2 per 1000 patient days to 2.6 per 1000 patient days and was statistically significant on a two-tailed student t-test with 95% CI with p-value=0.00073. Conclusions Our developed prevention bundle for neonatal HAIs was significantly effective and reproducible for healthcare workers' training and development. Considering variations in global infection control practices and resources constraint, it is effective to develop a local prevention bundle for neonatal HAIs.

Effectiveness of Intervention Program on Primary School Pupils’ about Hand-washing Practices

This quasi-experimental study aimed to develop an intervention program to enhance hand hygiene practices among school children in Najaf Governorate. Data were collected via a questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and hand washing behaviors. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis. Results revealed suboptimal hand hygiene practices, with only 58.2% of children washing their hands after using the bathroom and 63.4% after playing. Gender and age disparities were evident, with females and older children exhibiting better hand washing habits. Family dynamics also played a significant role, with children learning hand washing predominantly from their mothers, particularly when fathers were present and employed as earners. Recommendations include integrating hygiene education into school curricula and conducting targeted educational sessions to promote effective hand washing practices. These findings underscore the importance of addressing socio-demographic factors in designing interventions to improve hand hygiene among school children, thereby mitigating the spread of infectious diseases. Highlights : Importance of Hand Hygiene: The study highlights the significance of hand washing in preventing disease transmission, emphasizing its crucial role in maintaining public health. Gender and Age Disparities: Findings reveal differences in hand washing practices based on gender and age, underlining the need for targeted interventions to address these disparities. Influence of Family and Profession: The influence of family members, particularly parents, and the profession of the father on hand washing habits underscores the importance of familial and societal support in promoting good hygiene practices. Keywords : Hand hygiene, Intervention program, Quasi-experimental study, School curriculum, Educational session

Is there a relationship between nurses' hand hygiene beliefs, practices and ethical sensitivity?

BackgroundHand hygiene is the most important way to prevent health care-associated infections. It is important for all nurses that come in physical contact with patients the most to follow hand hygiene rules. AimThis study aimed to determine the relationship between nurses' hand hygiene beliefs and practices and their ethical sensitivity. MethodThis descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with nurses working in internal medicine, surgery and intensive care clinics of a university hospital between June and August 2022. A total of 350 nurses participated in the study. A Personal Information Form, the Ethical Sensitivity Questionnaire (ESQ), the Hand Hygiene Practice Inventory (HHPI), and the Hand Hygiene Beliefs Scale (HHBS) were used for data collection. ResultsFindings support that nurses have moderate ethical sensitivity (88.36 ± 26.33), good hand hygiene beliefs (85.60 ± 9.21) and practice (66.14 ± 5.90). Despite there being no statistical significance in evaluating the relationship between hand hygiene practice and ethical sensitivity (p = 0.253, r = −0.061), there was a statically significant inverse relationship between hand hygiene beliefs and ethical sensitivity (p = 0.001, r = −0.172). The hand hygiene compliance score of the nurses who received only ethics training after nursing school (p = 0.000); the hand hygiene belief (p = 0.011) and hand hygiene practice (p = 0.007) scores of those who received both ethics and hand hygiene training were higher. ConclusionsIt can be said that the ethical sensitivity of nurses does not affect their hand hygiene practices, and the hand hygiene and ethics education they receive after school education increases their hand hygiene beliefs and practices.

Infection prevention and control among paramedics: A scoping review

Paramedics are exposed to many infectious diseases in their professional activities, leading to a high risk of transmitting infectious diseases to patients in out-of-hospital settings, possibly leading to health care associated infections in hospitals and the community. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of infection prevention and control in health care and the role of paramedics in infection control is considered even more critical. Despite this, in many countries such as Australia, research into infection prevention and control research has mainly been focused on in-hospital health care professionals with limited out-of-hospital studies. This scoping review was based upon Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Literature on knowledge and awareness of infection prevention and control in paramedics in Australia and other countries was evaluated. Based upon selection criteria applied, six papers were identified for inclusion in this review. In many studies, infection prevention and control was identified as being important, however compliance with hand hygiene practices was low and most studies highlighted the need for more education and training on infectious disease for paramedics. Current evidence suggests that paramedics have poor compliance with recommended IPC practices. The profession needs to improve IPC education, training, and culture.

Microbiological Evaluation of Commercial Hand Sanitisers Available in Pakistan Using European Standard and Membrane Filtration Method.

To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of various commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitisers (ABHS) using European standard (EN 1500) method and perform ABHS testing with membrane filtration method. A Cross-sectional observational study. Place and Duration of the Study:Quality Control Section of the Microbiology Laboratory, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from February to April 2023. Efficacy of 14 commercially and widely accessible hand sanitisers was defined as reducing micro-organism growth. It was determined using the EN 1500 European standard test and membrane filtration method. Majority (92.8%) ABHS showed a significant bacterial reduction except one ABHS tested with the EN 1500 method. Only six ABHS products were tested through the membrane filtration method because high viscosity of hand sanitisers was causing damage to filter membranes. Continued vigilance in evaluating hand sanitiser's efficacy through robust testing methods is essential to ensure public health and prevent the dissemination of misleading products that may compromise hand hygiene practices. Hand sanitisers, European standard, Membrane filtration method, Antibacterial efficacy.

Antimicrobial resistance and self-reported hand hygiene awareness before and after an infection prevention and control programme: A 7-year analysis in a small animal veterinary teaching hospital

Infection prevention and control (IPC) in veterinary medicine is crucial to protect patients, owners, staff, and the public. An IPC programme is recommended for every animal hospital. The objective of this retrospective longitudinal study was to describe the changes in bacterial and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial isolates and self-reported hand hygiene awareness and practices after an IPC programme to assess the long-term effect of this programme in small animal veterinary medicine. The IPC programme was implemented at our veterinary teaching hospital in April 2018, which included the establishment of an infection control task force, regular IPC lectures and poster campaigns, infrastructure improvement, and manual refinement. Laboratory-based surveillance was retrospectively conducted before and after the programme (January 2016–December 2022). Level and slope changes in bacterial isolates were evaluated using interrupted time-series analysis. Self-reported hand hygiene awareness and practices were assessed using an annual questionnaire. Additionally, hygiene product purchases during the study period were investigated.The monthly number of total and MDR bacterial isolates decreased significantly after the programme (MDR level change: −0.426; 95% confidence interval: −0.744, −0.109; P = 0.009; and MDR slope change: −0.035; 95% confidence interval: −0.058, −0.011; P = 0.003). Additionally, awareness of hand hygiene before touching animals improved after the programme. Overall self-reported hand hygiene practices improved, and hygiene product purchases significantly increased. These results suggested that the IPC programme may have long-term effects regarding reducing total and MDR bacterial isolates and improving hand hygiene awareness in veterinary medicine.