Hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers at a tertiary care hospital in eastern India

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality rates. Hand hygiene (HH) is recognized as the most fundamental and effective strategy for infection control.Objectives: This study aimed to assess hand hygiene compliance (HHC) among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India, focusing on different categories of HCWs and various wards and critical care areas.Methods: This retrospective study spanned six months. A trained infection control nurse directly observed HCWs' HH practices during routine patient care, adhering to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Each HCW was monitored for a minimum of ۲۰ minutes per session at the point of patient care. Compliance was calculated as the ratio of completed HH actions to the available opportunities, expressed as a percentage.Results: Of the ۱,۳۳۷ observed HH opportunities, the overall HHC was ۶۴.۶۳%. Compliance rates varied significantly among professional categories: nurses exhibited a compliance rate of ۷۱.۱۹%, doctors ۶۲.۵۸%, and allied staff ۶۰.۱۱%. Across all HCW categories, the highest compliance was observed during Moment ۳ (۸۳%), while Moment ۵ recorded the lowest adherence at ۵۰% among nurses and doctors; allied staff demonstrated particularly low compliance for Moment ۱ (۴۷.۱%). In terms of specific areas, average compliance rates were ۶۶% in intensive care units (ICUs), ۷۰% in wards, and ۵۶% in the emergency department. Within ICUs, the respiratory ICU had the lowest HHC at ۴۸.۱۳%, whereas the neonatal and pediatric ICU achieved the highest compliance at ۹۱%. Among wards, the obstetrics and gynecology ward had the lowest HHC at ۵۸.۶۴%, while the surgical ward had the highest at ۷۸.۲۶%.Conclusion: Although HHC is a critical component of infection control strategies, compliance remains suboptimal in many settings, particularly in critical care areas. Regular monitoring, ongoing training, and performance feedback for HCWs are essential to enhance and sustain adherence to hand hygiene practices.

کلیدواژه ها:

Hand hygiene ، hand hygiene compliance ، Healthcare Workers ، Healthcare-associated infections