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Handwashing compliance: what works?

J M Serkey¹, G S Hall

¹Department of Clinical Pathology, Section of Clinical Microbiology, Cleveland Clinic, USA. serkeyj@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine

|May 1, 2001

Summary

Healthcare workers often neglect handwashing, a critical infection control measure. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are recommended when handwashing isn't feasible, improving compliance and reducing bacterial transmission.

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Area of Science:

Infection Control
Public Health
Healthcare Policy

Background:

National handwashing guidelines are crucial for infection control, yet compliance among healthcare personnel, especially physicians, remains low.
Despite the availability of new products like automated handwashing machines, their clinical benefits require further investigation.
Hand hygiene is fundamental to preventing healthcare-associated infections.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of current hand hygiene practices and identify barriers to compliance.
To explore alternative and supplementary methods for improving hand hygiene in healthcare settings.
To assess the role of antiseptic products and alcohol-based hand sanitizers in infection control.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on hand hygiene compliance and infection control strategies.
Analysis of barriers affecting healthcare personnel's adherence to handwashing protocols.
Evaluation of the efficacy of antiseptic products versus traditional handwashing.

Main Results:

Plain soap handwashing is less effective than antiseptic products in preventing bacterial transmission.
Barriers such as limited access to sinks and time constraints significantly impede compliance.
Gloves do not replace the need for proper hand hygiene due to incomplete protection.

Conclusions:

Antiseptic products are preferred over plain soap for reliable bacterial transmission prevention.
Given that 100% compliance is unrealistic, interventions like alcohol-based hand sanitizers are vital.
Improving access to facilities and promoting alcohol-based sanitizers are key strategies to enhance hand hygiene compliance and reduce infection rates.

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