Hand Hygiene—Of Reason and Ritual
Authors: Robert A. Weinstein
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Editorials6 July 2004Hand Hygiene—Of Reason and RitualRobert A. Weinstein, MDRobert A. Weinstein, MDFrom John H. Stroger Jr. (Cook County) Hospital, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-1-200407060-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Modern infection control is grounded in the work of Ignaz Semelweis, who in the 1840s demonstrated the importance of hand hygiene for controlling transmission of infection on an obstetric ward. Although hand hygiene is the most important activity for preventing health care–associated infections, scores of observational studies demonstrate poor adherence by health care workers. The often-cited drawbacks to hand hygiene are the time required, a perception that the recommended frequency of hand cleansing is excessive, fear that frequent washing will lead to dermatitis, and limited access to sinks and hand hygiene products. To overcome these objections, an expert panel recently ...References1. Boyce JM, Pittet D. Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/Association for Professionals in Infection Control/Infectious Diseases Society of America. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2002;51:1-45, quiz CE1-4. [PMID: 12418624] MedlineGoogle Scholar2. Pittet D, Simon A, Hugonnet S, Pessoa-Silva CL, Sauvan V, Perneger TV. Hand hygiene among physicians: performance, beliefs, and perceptions. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:1-8. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Weinstein RA, Kabins SA. 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In: Proceedings of the 43rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Chicago, 14–17 September; 2003:369. Abstract no. K-744 Google Scholar11. Bonten MJ, Slaughter S, Ambergen AW, Hayden MK, van Voorhis J, Nathan C, et al . The role of “colonization pressure” in the spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci: an important infection control variable. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158:1127-32. [PMID: 9605785] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. Tenorio AR, Badri SM, Sahgal NB, Hota B, Matushek M, Hayden MK, et al . Effectiveness of gloves in the prevention of hand carriage of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus species by health care workers after patient care. Clin Infect Dis. 2001;32:826-9. [PMID: 11229854] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. 2004 National Patient Safety Goals—FAQs. Accessed at www.jcaho.com/accredited+organizations/patient+safety/04+npsg/04_faqs.htm#goal7 on 31 March 2004. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From John H. Stroger Jr. (Cook County) Hospital, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612.Disclosures: None disclosed.Current Author Address: Robert A. Weinstein, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, John H. Stroger Jr. (Cook County) Hospital, 1901 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60612; e-mail, [email protected]edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHand Hygiene among Physicians: Performance, Beliefs, and Perceptions Didier Pittet , Anne Simon , Stéphane Hugonnet , Carmen Lúcia Pessoa-Silva , Valérie Sauvan , and Thomas V. 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