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280 Implementation of WHO Tools to Enhance Compliance to Hand Hygiene in a ALexandria University Hospitals

Friday, March 19, 2010
Grand Hall (Hyatt Regency Atlanta)
Sherein ElNossery, M, S , Alexandria University Hospitals - Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Soad Farid Hafez , Alexandria University Hospitals - Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Background: Compliance to hand hygiene is the first challenge of the Word Alliance for Patient Safety. The role of hand hygiene in preventing the transmission of healthcare associated infections is well identified yet the compliance to hand hygiene is far below accepted levels particularly in resource limited healthcare facilities.

Objective: Enhance the compliance of healthcare providers to hand hygiene disciplines

Methods: . Alexandria University Hospitals joined the activities of World Alliance for Patient Safety / WHO as a complementary site for hand hygiene promotion. A campaign was launched employing the WHO tools to enhance compliance to hand hygiene in ICUs, NICUs, burn units and some inpatients wards in the facility. WHO tools was translated to Arabic language. During the campaign, knowledge and practices of all doctors and nurses working in theses departments were assessed, hand hygiene practices  were observed, Alcohol was prepared according to the WHO formula, educational sessions were carried out and translated posters were distributed all over the facility.

Results: Compliance to hand hygiene was about 5% at almost all the departments except the NICU where the compliance to hand hygiene was about 48.0%. Among the observed professional categories, nurses were more adherent to hand hygiene than doctors (68.0%, 25% respectively). As regards the observation of hand hygiene practices according to their indications, the modal frequency was before patient contact, followed by after risk of body fluid exposure, then after patient contact (31.0%, 24.0%, and 22.0% respectively).  The knowledge and perception about hand hygiene was good among the studied population.

Conclusions:

The discrepancy between compliance to hand hygiene practices at different departments was attributed to lack of hand hygiene supplies. Efforts should be directed to improve access to these products. And this is the aim of the current quality improving project.