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Suspicion of viral gastroenteritis does improve compliance with hand hygiene

S Scheithauer1, J Oude-Aost, C Stollbrink-Peschgens

  • 1Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany. sscheithauer@ukaachen.de

Infection
|July 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Viral gastroenteritis (a stomach bug) increased healthcare workers' hand hygiene compliance on pediatric wards. This highlights the importance of hand hygiene in preventing disease spread, especially after patient contact.

Area of Science:

  • Infection Control
  • Pediatric Healthcare
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Viral gastroenteritis is a frequent cause of pediatric hospital admissions.
  • Effective hand hygiene is crucial for preventing healthcare-associated infections and cross-transmission of pathogens.
  • Limited research exists on hand hygiene practices throughout complete workdays in pediatric settings, particularly concerning the impact of viral gastroenteritis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate hand hygiene practices during complete workdays on pediatric wards.
  • To determine the influence of viral gastroenteritis on hand hygiene opportunities and compliance among healthcare workers.
  • To compare hand hygiene behavior in the care of children with and without viral gastroenteritis.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, observational study design.
  • Data collection over 144 hours for two groups: children with and without viral gastroenteritis.
  • Documentation of hand hygiene opportunities and compliance rates among ward-associated healthcare workers.

Main Results:

  • Healthcare workers encountered more hand hygiene opportunities per patient-day with children suffering from viral gastroenteritis (40) compared to those without (30).
  • Compliance with hand hygiene recommendations was significantly higher for children with viral gastroenteritis (72%) versus those without (67%).
  • Physicians showed markedly higher compliance (92% vs. 50%) when caring for children with viral gastroenteritis, with compliance tending to be higher post-patient contact.

Conclusions:

  • Viral gastroenteritis appears to increase the frequency of hand hygiene opportunities and significantly boosts compliance rates among healthcare workers.
  • The observed increase in compliance was particularly notable after patient contact.
  • Further investigation into healthcare worker awareness of undiagnosed transmissible diseases is recommended to enhance cross-transmission prevention strategies.
Abstract

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