Hand Hygiene Awareness, Attitude and Compliance among House Officers in Public-Sector Dental Institutes- A Questionnaire-Based Study

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the compliance of hand hygiene among dental health care professionals, to access different variables associated with hand hygiene and to identify possible ways of improving hand hygiene compliance. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done to access the hand hygiene compliance, knowledge and practice of dental house officers in public dental institutes using a questionnaire developed by the authors. Descriptive statistics and chi square test were performed and a P value <0.05 was taken as significant. Results: 88 dental house officers working in different clinical departments participated in this study. 90% of the respondents believed that hand hygiene plays an important role in cross infection control. More than two-third were aware of all the steps recommended for hand washing, but more than half were not following them. 60% of the respondents wash their hands before and after touching each patient. However, 30% wash hands after each patient and 10% only wash hands before touching every patient. Fifty-five (55.8%) of the participants routinely use alcohol-based rub for hand hygiene. There was a significant difference regarding hand hygiene training among different departments. (p<0.001) Majority of house officers working in prosthodontics and surgery had not received hand hygiene training. Conclusion: Hand hygiene compliance is found to be acceptable when compared with developing countries. However, there was lack in knowledge. Dental graduates should be made aware of CDC and ADA guidelines. Better facilities and instruction for dental students should be encouraged. Hand hygiene quality needs to be improved on an urgent basis. Keywords: Hand Hygiene, Dental Health, Hand Washing, Bacteria

Hand Hygiene and Cross Infection Control among Dental Auxiliaries working in Private and Public Dental Institutes of Punjab

“…Hands should be cleaned before wearing gloves as recommended by CDC and ADA. 26 Conversely, majority of the participants in our study, both from private and public, think that there is no need of hand hygiene before wearing gloves. Germs can be transferred if the hand are not properly cleaned before wearing gloves, therefore, assistants should be trained and educated to perform hand hygiene before wearing gloves.…”

“…The auxiliaries should not only be aware of the presence of the manual but also with the contents of the manual. 30,26 Majority of the respondents in this study were aware of the presence, however, when it came to the awareness about the contents, public sector auxiliaries were lacking, and between assistants and hygienists, hygienists were more aware of the contents.…”

“…Previous studies have reported that hand accessories (wrist watches, rings, nails) are associated with increased bacterial load on the hands of healthcare workers and therefore should be removed during hand hygiene. 29,26 Majority of the respondents in our study agreed that hand accessories should be removed during hand hygiene.…”

“…26 World Health Organization (WHO), in its 5 Moments of hand hygiene program, and CDC in its guidelines has emphasized on performing regular hand hygiene before and after touching the patient. 27,26 In current study, majority of the respondents from private institutes were practicing hand hygiene before and after touching the patients, whereas, majority from public institutes were practicing only before touching the patients. Auxiliaries from public institutes should be educated through regular workshops and refresher courses.…”

Comparison between breastfeeding and artificial feeding among infants with acute gastroenteritis in Al-Azizyia General Hospital

“…Providing clean, uncontaminated water and practising good hygiene when cultivating, gathering, and preparing food are the two most crucial ways to avoid childhood diarrhoea [37]. With thorough hand washing and barrier nursing, prevent cross infection in cases of acute diarrhoea [38]. There has been increasing interest in the use of probiotic lactobacillus strain is the treatment and prevention of acute diarrhoea [39].…”