Then, an alcohol-based hand disinfectant was made available, with one alcohol dispenser for every four beds. In the third period, additional dispensers were added so that there was one alcohol dispenser for each bed. This study also suggests that better access to hand hygiene facilities results in improved compliance. Cost Figure 1 Click to view enlarged image Figure 1. Annual expenditures for hand hygiene products used in patient care areas in a 450-bed community hospital, 1999.
Few data are available regarding the cost of antiseptic agents used for hand hygiene.
Because of different use patterns and varying product prices, annual hand hygiene budgets at other institutions could vary considerably. The excess hospital expense associated with four or five nosocomial infections of average severity is equal to the entire annual budget for soap and alcohol products used for hand hygiene in inpatient care areas. A single severe surgical site infection, lower respiratory infection, or bloodstream infection may cost the hospital more than the entire annual budget for antiseptic agents used for hand hygiene. If a change from nonmedicated soap to an antiseptic agent or a substantial increase in the use of antiseptic agents resulted in preventing a few additional nosocomial infections per year, the additional costs associated with using antiseptics would be offset by cost savings. A B 1.8 1.6 Alcohol foam A B 4.7 4.8 a Nonmedicated liquid soap was arbitrarily assigned a relative cost of 1.0.