Report: Hand Hygiene Practices and Prevention of Nosocomial Infections

This report addresses the problem of nosocomial infections, which lead to increased hospital stays and healthcare costs. It focuses on the impact of hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings. The report uses a PICOT question to investigate the effect of hand washing techniques compared to other methods like gloves and sanitizers. It reviews existing evidence, including internal data on infection rates and external research on hand hygiene protocols. The rationale highlights the WHO's five moments of hand hygiene and the low adherence rates among healthcare workers, emphasizing hand hygiene as a cost-effective method for reducing infection. The evaluation section outlines observational methods to assess the impact of strict hand washing adherence on infection rates, readmission, and hospital stay. The expected outcomes include improved adherence, reduced infection rates, decreased hospital stay, and lower readmission rates. The report cites several relevant research articles to support its findings and recommendations.

N A M E
D AT E
Hand Hygiene practices and
Prevention of Nosocomial
infections in Health care
Organzations

Problem Statement
Noscomial infection leads to longer stay and
hospitalization
Increase rates of disease across High, middle
and low income countries
CDC estimates average costs of $2,100

Cont’
Nosocomial infections are systematic
Most common are urinary tract infections
Hospital contamination occurs through cross
contamination

PICOT question
P ; health care workers
I ; hand washing techniques
Comparator ; usage of gloves, alcohol and
sanitizers
Outcome ;reduction of occurrence of
acquired hospital infections
Time ; during hospital stay

Cont’
The effect of hand washing techniques on
hospitalized patients compared to the usage
of hand gloves, alcohol sanitizers or not
washing hands in reducing the occurrence of
acquiring hospital-associated infections
during the hospital stay among health care
workers staff.

Interventions
Hand hygiene practices
Hand washing practices in care settings

Evidence of Interventions
Hand washing protocol in intensive care units
was linked to reduced rates of acquired
infections (Fox et al., 2015)
Negative association was observed between
hand washing and bacterial spore formation
(Sasahara et al., 2016).
Despite , this there is low adherence rates of
hand washing in care settings , (Eliana et al
2018) .

Internal and External Evidence
Internal evidence
Increased rates of infections acquired at the
facility .
Longer hospital stay among patients
Increase usage of health care costs
External evidence
Increased rates of readmission among
patients

Rationale
WHO Five moments of hand washing
None adherence among health care workers
has led to high rates of infections
Hand hygiene is cheapest method of reducing
infections rates among care workers to
patients

Evalutions
Observational methods
Rates of infection over a two months of strict
adherence of hand washing practices
Rate of readmission and hospital stay
between this period among patients.

Outcomes
Improved adherence levels
Reduction in rates of infections
Reduced hospital stay
Declined rate of hospital readmission.

References
Andersson, A. E., Bergh, I., Karlsson, J., & Nilsson, K. (2010). Patients' experiences of acquiring a deep surgical site infection: An
interview study. American journal of infection control, 38(9), 711-717.
Eliana Ofelia LLapa-Rodríguez, E., O., Albuquerque de Oliveira, J., K., Menezes, M., O., Silva, L., S., Marques de Almeida, D & Neto,
D., L. (2018). Health professionals’ adhesion to hand hygiene. Journal of Nursing ISSN: 1981-8963. Permalink:
https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=130259132&site=eds-live
&scope=site
Fox, C., Wavra, T., drake, D., A., Mulligan, D., Benneth, y., P., Nelson, c., Kirkwood, P., Jones, L., Bader, M., K. (2015). Use of a paient
hand washing protocol to reducehospitl hospital acquied infections ad improve nurses’ hand washing. American Association of
Critical-Care Nurses doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2015898. Permalink:
https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=103799805&site=eds-live
&scope=site
Sasahara, T., Ae, R., Watanabe, M., Kimura, Y., Yonekawa, C., Hayashi, S., Morisawa, Y. (2016). Contamination of healthcare workers’
hands with bacterial spores. Journal of infection and chemotherapy. Permalink:
https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=116653502&site=eds-live
&scope=site
Shoaei, S., Sali, S., & Yousefi, H. (2017). Incidence and resistance patterns of nosocomial infections in labbafi nejad hospital admitted
patients during 2012-2014. Infection, Epidemiology and Microbiology, 3(3), 78-81.
Shobowale, E. O., Adegunle, B., & Onyedibe, K. (2016). An assessment of hand hygiene practices of healthcare workers of a semi-
urban teaching hospital using the five moments of hand hygiene. Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical
Association, 57(3), 150–154. https://doi.org/10.4103/0300-1652.184058
Tolera, M., Abate, D., Dheresa, M., & Marami, D. (2018). Bacterial Nosocomial Infections and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern
among Patients Admitted at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia. Advances in medicine, 2018.