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Hand antisepsis: evaluation of a sprayer system for alcohol distribution
Karine Barrau1, Clarisse Rovery, Michel Drancourt
1Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Nord, Marseille, France.
Objective:
To evaluate the usefulness of a new alcohol sprayer by comparing it with an individual bottle of alcohol. Patterns of use and perceptions among healthcare personnel were compared for the two products.
Design:
Observational study recording the volume of alcohol used and the compliance rate (frequency of hand antisepsis per number of opportunities), and a survey of healthcare workers' perceptions of the different hand hygiene strategies.
Setting:
A 20-bed medical unit in a public hospital in Marseille, France.
Participants:
Healthcare workers of an infectious disease unit
Interventions:
Hand hygiene alcohol systems (sprayer vs individual bottle, 70% ethyl alcohol).
Results:
The sprayer was used more frequently than the individual bottle (12.6 vs 9.7 hand washes per day). With the sprayer system, compliance was 91% for physicians, 28% for nurses, and 8% for housekeeping personnel. Alcohol hand antisepsis was preferred to washing hands with soap and water in low-risk situations such as simple entrance into a room (91% vs 36%; P < 10(-6)) or simple contact with a patient (69% vs 40; P < .005). The sprayer system was considered easier to use (95%), more hygienic (90%), and faster (92%), with a better tolerance than the individual bottle.
Conclusion:
The new alcohol sprayer should improve rapid hand antisepsis.