Hand Hygiene Compliance in an Education and Research Hospital Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Objective and Aim: Errors occurring during the provision of health services are medical errors. Hospital infections counted among these errors remain a serious health problem on the agenda. Hand hygiene is the most effective and cheapest way to prevent hospital infections, and it is also a method that can be easily applied by the healthcare worker. With hand hygiene compliance, it has been shown that one third of the hospital infections and even one third and half of the hospital infections occurring in intensive care are reduced. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate hand hygiene observation data retrospectively in intensive care units. Materials and Method: This study was carried out in Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University (RTEU) Training and Research Hospital Intensive Care Units (Internal Intensive Care, Surgical Intensive Care, Anesthesia Intensive Care, Cardiovascular Surgery Intensive Care, Coronary Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, Newborn Intensive Care) in 2016 and 2017. There were doctors, nurses and assistant health personnel among the healthcare professionals. Hand hygiene observation was made according to five basic indication rules. Results: In the Intensive Care Units (ICU), 255 health workers were evaluated in 2016 and 430 in 2017. The compliance rate in the ICU was evaluated as 86%. According to the five indication rules, the highest compliance was with 90-95% before aseptic procedures, after contamination with body fluids and after contact with the patient's environment. The least compliance was before contact with 60% of patients. According to professions, the compliance rate of physicians was 85%, nurses 95%, and assistant health personnel 90%. According to the units; The highest compliance was in the Surgical Intensive Care, Pediatrics and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with 97%, and the least in the Anesthesia and Internal Medicine Intensive Care Units with 69% and 60% Discussion and Conclusion: Hand hygiene compliance; It is still below the desired levels, with regular training, evaluations and feedback. Hospital infections, especially for the prevention of intensive care infections, besides continuing education, rewarding practices will be more motivating for healthcare professionals here. It should develop and implement a feasible, acceptable, acceptable hand hygiene policy in hospitals.

Keywords: Hand hygiene compliance, feedback, patient safety, intensive care

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/75-02