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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

A Method to Test the Efficacy of Handwashing for the Removal of Emerging Infectious Pathogens
Published on: June 7, 2017
[Adherence to the five moments for hand hygiene among intensive care professionals]
Luccas Melo de Souza1, Maríndia Fernandes Ramos2, Evelin Santos da Silva Becker3
1Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Gravataí, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
Objective:
To identify the adherence of health professionals of an intensive care unit to the five moments for hand hygiene.
Method:
Cross-sectional analytical study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data from a database of a hospital infection control service at an institution in southern Brazil. A total of 793 observations were analyzed from July to December 2012.
Results:
Hand washing was not performed in 446 (56.2%) of the observations, and the adherence rate was 43.7%. The greatest adherence to hand hygiene was among the physiotherapists (53.5%) and the lowest adherence was among the nursing staff (29.2%). The indications with the lowest adherence rates to hand hygiene were "before touching the patient" (18.4%) and "before aseptic procedure" (20.9%).
Conclusion:
We conclude that adherence to hand washing does not comply with the national and international guidelines, especially when we consider the current scenario of growing infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms.
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