International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 11 > Pp. 782-783

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Audit reports

Compliance with hand hygiene in a genitourinary medicine department

S Samraj MRCPI DipGum ^* , J Westbury BSc , A Pallett MBBS FRCPath  and D Rowen PhD FRCP ^*

^* Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital; Infection Control; Department of Microbiology, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK

Correspondence to: Dr S Samraj, Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton SO14 OYG, UK Email: samraj_ie{at}yahoo.co.uk

The ability to control hospital-acquired infections is highly dependent upon control of cross-contamination from health-care workers to patients, and from one anatomical area of the patient to another anatomical area. Hand hygiene has been demonstrated to be an essential prerequisite in preventing cross-contamination. Wearing gloves does not afford complete protection against cross-contamination. Hand hygiene includes handwashing between patients, the use of alcohol-based skin cleansers and changing or removing gloves between examining different anatomical sites. There are no previously published audits regarding compliance to hand hygiene in genitourinary (GU) medicine clinics. A validated observation tool was employed in this audit. Doctors and nurses were observed in clinical practice. The adherence to hand hygiene protocols was overall poor. Doctors were more likely to adhere to protocols than nurses (83.3% vs. 66%). However, techniques of glove removal were universally satisfactory. Strategies for improvement in hand hygiene are suggested. These include performance feedback and use of posters.

Key Words: compliance • hand hygiene • genitourinary medicine

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