Handwashing in the intensive care unit: a big measure with modest effects

Silvestri, Luciano; Petros, Andy; Sarginson, R. E.; Cal, Miguel A. de la; Murray, A.E.; Saene, H. K. F. van

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2004.11.005

Cited by 62 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In 1961 in the USA, there were recommendations that HCWs should wash their hands with soap for 1-2 min before and after patient contact. 6 Formal written guidelines on handwashing practices in hospitals were published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1975 and 1985. 7 Further guidelines from other professional bodies followed.…”

Section: Historical Perspectives In Handwashingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While it is known that compliance with hand hygiene guidelines is poor in healthcare settings, it is also known from worldwide studies that hands are washed with soap less than 20% of the time. 6 For example, workers in the UK found that in the home environment, carers washed their hands on only 42% of occasions when they changed a child's dirty nappy. 63 Only 34% of male and 56% of female members of the public washed their hands after using a public toilet in a train station in the UK.…”

Section: Hand Tattoosmentioning

confidence: 99%

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RETRACTED: Handwashing: a simple, economical and effective method for preventing nosocomial infections in intensive care units

Akyol

Ulusoy

Özen

2006

Journal of Hospital Infection

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Section: Historical Perspectives In Handwashingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hand Tattoosmentioning

confidence: 99%

RETRACTED: Handwashing: a simple, economical and effective method for preventing nosocomial infections in intensive care units

Akyol

Ulusoy

Özen

2006

Journal of Hospital Infection

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“…Despite efforts to improve hand hygiene and isolation practices that have been implemented to help mitigate this problem, recent studies have documented the limitation of such interventions (3)(4)(5)(6). Although active surveillance protocols and strict isolation may decrease methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission (7), such interventions have not decreased overall nosocomial infection rates in several northern European countries, which remain similar to rates in southern European countries and the United States (8).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving environmental hygiene in 27 intensive care units to decrease multidrug-resistant bacterial transmission*

Carling

Parry

Bruno-Murtha

et al. 2010

Critical Care Medicine

151

112

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Significant improvements in intensive care unit room cleaning can be achieved in most hospitals by using a structured approach that incorporates a simple, highly objective surface targeting method and repeated performance feedback to environmental services personnel. Given the documented environmental transmission of a wide range of multidrug-resistant pathogens, our findings identify a substantial opportunity to enhance patient safety by improving the thoroughness of intensive care unit environmental hygiene.

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“…In fact, although healthcare professionals may clean and disinfect their "personal" medical devices, they may still be contaminated by hospital computer keyboards and telephone handsets and transmit infections. Both these devices are used with the hands, which are the top causes of transmission of bacteria [8,30,31]. Frequency of disinfection and compliance of hospital personnel could explain the differences we found between the units.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental contaminants in hospital settings and progress in disinfecting techniques

Messina

Ceriale

Lenzi

et al. 2013

European Journal of Public Health

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Medical devices, such as stethoscopes, and other objects found in hospital, such as computer keyboards and telephone handsets, may be reservoirs of bacteria for healthcare-associated infections. In this cross-over study involving an Italian teaching hospital we evaluated microbial contamination (total bacterial count (TBC) at 36 ∘ C/22 ∘ C, Staphylococcus spp., moulds, Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., E. coli, total coliform bacteria, Acinetobacter spp., and Clostridium difficile) of these devices before and after cleaning and differences in contamination between hospital units and between stethoscopes and keyboards plus handsets. We analysed 37 telephone handsets, 27 computer keyboards, and 35 stethoscopes, comparing their contamination in four hospital units. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney tests were used. Before cleaning, many samples were positive for Staphylococcus spp. and coliforms. After cleaning, CFUs decreased to zero in most comparisons. The first aid unit had the highest and intensive care the lowest contamination ( < 0.01). Keyboards and handsets had higher TBC at 22 ∘ C ( = 0.046) and mould contamination ( = 0.002) than stethoscopes. Healthcare professionals should disinfect stethoscopes and other possible sources of bacterial healthcare-associated infections. The cleaning technique used was effective in reducing bacterial contamination. Units with high patient turnover, such as first aid, should practise stricter hygiene.

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Handwashing in the intensive care unit: a big measure with modest effects

Cited by 62 publications

References 39 publications

RETRACTED: Handwashing: a simple, economical and effective method for preventing nosocomial infections in intensive care units

RETRACTED: Handwashing: a simple, economical and effective method for preventing nosocomial infections in intensive care units

Improving environmental hygiene in 27 intensive care units to decrease multidrug-resistant bacterial transmission*

Environmental contaminants in hospital settings and progress in disinfecting techniques

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