Compliance with hygiene practices among healthcare workers at an academic hospital emergency department
| Autor: | Abdullah E. Laher, Ljuba-Ruth Van Rooyen, Kylen Swartzberg, Ali Jawa, Callistus O.A. Enyuma |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Medicine (General) Handwashing Emergency centre media_common.quotation_subject Audit Compliance (psychology) R5-920 Geochemistry and Petrology Hygiene Health care medicine Emergency department disposable surgical gloves media_common Hand rub business.industry Emergency department Surgical Gloves Family medicine Emergency Medicine Medicine Original Article business Bare below the elbows Gerontology Alcohol-based hand rub Hand hygiene |
| Zdroj: | African Journal of Emergency Medicine African Journal of Emergency Medicine, Vol 11, Iss 3, Pp 352-355 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2211-4203 2211-419X |
| Popis: | Introduction Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are an important contributor to patient morbidity and mortality. Healthcare workers (HCWs) hands are the chief mode of transmission of HCAIs. The emergency centre (EC) is frequently the first point of contact for patients within the health care system. The aim of this study is to determine compliance with hygiene practices among healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital EC. Methods Hygiene practices of staff were observed over a six-week period. Data pertaining to compliance rates with hand cleansing and other hygiene practices was collected. Consent was obtained retrospectively to avoid influencing participant behaviour. Results From a total of 477 potential hygiene opportunities, compliance with hand hygiene was only 34.4% (n = 164). Hand cleansing with an alcohol-based hand rub was observed in 87 (26.7%) of the 326 (68.3%) opportunities where it was indicated, while handwashing with soap and water was observed in 35 (23.2%) of the 151 opportunities where this was indicated. Compliance to each of the six steps of handwashing ranged between 62.2% and 83.5%, with there being a gradual deterioration in compliance from step one through to step six. Compliance with ‘bare below the elbows’ was observed in 242 (50.7%) opportunities while disposable surgical gloves were worn on 85 (44.7%) of the 190 opportunities where this was indicated. Conclusion Compliance with hygiene practices among EC HCWs is suboptimal. Various strategies including ongoing systematic training and regular audits may improve overall hygiene practices among EC staff. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|