hand hygiene
Impact of a standardized hand hygiene program on the incidence of nosocomial infection in very low birth weight infants
Maria Grazia Capretti, MD,a Fabrizio Sandri, MD,a Elisabetta Tridapalli, MD,a Silvia Galletti, MD,a
Elisabetta Petracci, MD,b and Giacomo Faldella, PhDa
Bologna, Italy
Background: This study examined the effects of a standardized hand hygiene program on the rate of nosocomial infection (NI) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight , 1500 g) admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Methods: We compared the rate of NI in VLBW infants in 2 separate periods. In the first period, staff were encouraged to perform handwashing using a plain fluid detergent (0.5% triclosan). In the second period, a standardized hand hygiene program was implemented using antimicrobial soap (4% chlorhexidine gluconate) and alcohol-based hand rubs.
Results: NI after 72 hours of life was detected in 16 of the 85 VLBW infants in the first period and in 5 of the 80 VLBW infants in the second period. The rate of central venous catheter colonization was significantly lower in the second period (5.8%) than in the first period (16.6%).
Conclusion: In our NICU, the incidence of NI in VLBW infants was significantly reduced after the introduction of a standardized handwashing protocol. In our experience, a proper hand hygiene program can save approximately 10 NI episodes/year, at a cost of
$10,000 per episode. Therefore, improving hand hygiene practice is a cost-effective program in the NICU. (Am J Infect Control
2008;36:430-5.)
Nosocomial infection (NI) remains a major problem in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), associated with prolonged morbidity, high mortality, and significant hospital costs.1,2 This complication is inversely related to gestational age (GA) and often involves very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight [BW] ,
1500 g); in fact, the average reported rate of NI is
20% in VLBW infants, compared with 0.1% in term
infants.3,4
Maria Grazia Capretti, MD,a Fabrizio Sandri, MD,a Elisabetta Tridapalli, MD,a Silvia Galletti, MD,a
Elisabetta Petracci, MD,b and Giacomo Faldella, PhDa
Bologna, Italy
Background: This study examined the effects of a standardized hand hygiene program on the rate of nosocomial infection (NI) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight , 1500 g) admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Methods: We compared the rate of NI in VLBW infants in 2 separate periods. In the first period, staff were encouraged to perform handwashing using a plain fluid detergent (0.5% triclosan). In the second period, a standardized hand hygiene program was implemented using antimicrobial soap (4% chlorhexidine gluconate) and alcohol-based hand rubs.
Results: NI after 72 hours of life was detected in 16 of the 85 VLBW infants in the first period and in 5 of the 80 VLBW infants in the second period. The rate of central venous catheter colonization was significantly lower in the second period (5.8%) than in the first period (16.6%).
Conclusion: In our NICU, the incidence of NI in VLBW infants was significantly reduced after the introduction of a standardized handwashing protocol. In our experience, a proper hand hygiene program can save approximately 10 NI episodes/year, at a cost of
$10,000 per episode. Therefore, improving hand hygiene practice is a cost-effective program in the NICU. (Am J Infect Control
2008;36:430-5.)
Nosocomial infection (NI) remains a major problem in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), associated with prolonged morbidity, high mortality, and significant hospital costs.1,2 This complication is inversely related to gestational age (GA) and often involves very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight [BW] ,
1500 g); in fact, the average reported rate of NI is
20% in VLBW infants, compared with 0.1% in term
infants.3,4