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Self-Protection as a Driver for Hand Hygiene Among Healthcare Workers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Michael A. Borg ,
Mohamed Benbachir ,
Barry D. Cookson ,
Saida Ben Redjeb ,
Ziad Elnasser ,
Ossama Rasslan ,
Deniz Gür ,
Ziad Daoud  and
Despo Pieridou Bagatzouni
Michael A. Borg
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
Mohamed Benbachir*
Affiliation:
Microbiology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Casablanca, Morocco
Barry D. Cookson
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Healthcare Associated Infection, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom
Saida Ben Redjeb
Affiliation:
Microbiology Laboratory, Hospital Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisia
Ziad Elnasser
Affiliation:
Pathology and Microbiology Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Ossama Rasslan
Affiliation:
Infectious Disease Research and Infection Control Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Deniz Gür
Affiliation:
Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Ziad Daoud
Affiliation:
Microbiology Laboratory, St. George University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
Despo Pieridou Bagatzouni
Affiliation:
Microbiology Department, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
*
Infection Control Unit, Mater Dei Hospital, Tal-Qroqq, Msida MSD2010, Malta (michael.a.borg@ gov.mt)
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Abstract

A total of 2,725 healthcare workers in 8 Mediterranean countries replied to a self-assessment questionnaire that assessed their perceptions on hand hygiene. Responses revealed that rates of hand hygiene compliance before patient contact were significantly less than rates after patient contact (P < .001) and that use of soap and water was preferred over use of alcohol-based hand rub. These findings suggest that self-protection could be a major subliminal driver for performance of hand hygiene.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 30 , Issue 6 , June 2009 , pp. 578 - 580
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2009

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