Compliance with Handwashing
Authors: Didier Pittet, Thomas Perneger
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters17 August 1999Compliance with HandwashingDidier Pittet, MD, MS and Thomas Perneger, MD, PhDDidier Pittet, MD, MSThe University of Geneva Hospitals; 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland (Pittet)The University of Geneva Hospitals; 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland (Perneger)Search for more papers by this author and Thomas Perneger, MD, PhDThe University of Geneva Hospitals; 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland (Pittet)The University of Geneva Hospitals; 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland (Perneger)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-131-4-199908170-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We agree with Dr. McGuckin that noncompliance with hand hygiene in hospitals is nothing new. The proposal to turn the patient into an enforcer of hand hygiene is provocative, but hardly the only possibility. Our study suggests several reasons why this approach may have limited effectiveness in reducing cross-contamination. First, patient enforcement cannot be implemented in intensive care units, which care for patients who generally have impaired consciousness and communication ability, and where compliance was lowest among all hospital wards. Second, handwashing is required in many situations other than before patient contact (1); the latter indication represented only ...References1. Larson E. APIC Guidelines Committee. APIC guideline for handwashing and hand antisepsis in health care settings. Am J Infect Control. 1995;23:251-69. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Pittet D, Dharan S, Touveneau S, Sauvan V, Perneger TV. Bacterial contamination of the hands of hospital staff during routine patient care. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:821-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Voss A, Widmer AF. No time for handwashing!? Handwashing versus alcoholic rub: can we afford 100% compliance? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1997;18:205-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Pittet D, Sauvan V, Perneger TV. Improving compliance with hand hygiene in hospital [Abstract]. Members of the Infection Control Program. Ninth Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, 18-20 April 1999, San Francisco, California. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1999; 20:Abstract 103. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: The University of Geneva Hospitals; 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland (Pittet)The University of Geneva Hospitals; 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland (Perneger) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoCompliance with Handwashing in a Teaching Hospital Didier Pittet , Philippe Mourouga , Thomas V. Perneger , and It Is Time for Action: Improving Hand Hygiene in Hospitals John M. Boyce Compliance with Handwashing Maryanne McGuckin Metrics Cited ByIMPACT OF HAND HYGIENE TRAINING MODULE AMONG HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WORKING IN NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: A BEFORE AND AFTER TRIALÉvaluation du port de bijou chez des professionnels de la santé françaisBehavioural considerations for hand hygiene practices: the basic building blocksHand Washing: Simple, Cost Effective, Evidence Based … Lip Service! 17 August 1999Volume 131, Issue 4Page: 310KeywordsAlcoholsBacterial physiologyConsciousnessDisinfectionEpilepsyHygieneIntensive care units Issue Published: 17 August 1999 CopyrightCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...