Baseline assessment of hand hygiene knowledge perception: An observational study at a newly set up teaching hospital

Hand hygiene plays a crucial role in preventing health-care-associated infections (HCAIs) by reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. But, its compliance with optimal practices usually remains low at most of our health-care settings.

This study focused on one of the primordial, basic and low-cost practice of infection control.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among medical faculty, senior residents, postgraduates, nursing faculty, ward sisters/matron, and staff nurses at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Data were collected on a pretested structured questionnaire distributed among the participants, which consisted of questions to assess the knowledge and perception toward hand hygiene.

A total of 171 health-care workers (HCWs) were assessed in this study. Overall response rate observed was 87.8% ± 11.6%. Majority of the participants were staff nurses. Approximately 55% of them had received formal hand hygiene training in the last 3 years. Overall correct knowledge seen among participants was 66.4% ± 27.5%. It was observed that in situations requiring hand hygiene, it was performed in approximately 70%-80% of the times. Alcohol-based hand rub was not available at every point of care, whereas single-use towel was not present at every sink. When monitored whether the HCW started hand hygiene activity or not, compliance was seen in only 32% of the total.

It is now essential for developing countries to formulate the policies for implementation of basic infection control practices. As we are facing an era of multidrug-resistant pathogens that are rapidly increasing globally, and paucity of availability of new antimicrobials, it is been essential to look at the role of basic infection control practices at health-care settings and implement them at priority level.