Volume 24, Issue 105, September - October, 2020

Hand Hygiene and knowledge of Intensive Care Unit Visitors towards Hospital Acquired Infection

Albaraa Altowijri^1♦, Maryam Alenzi², Basmah Albalawi², Jumanah Algoufi³, Khalid Alqarni³, Maram Albaqami⁴, Rawabi Aljayani³, Wejdan Aljohani³, Hanan Aljammaz³, Reuof Alamri³

¹Assistant Professor/consultant pediatric and deformity orthopedic surgeon at Tabuk University, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
²Pediatric resident, king Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
³Medical Intern, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Saudi arabia
⁴MBBS, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Albaraa Ahmad Altowijri, Tabuk University, Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia; Email: dr_altowijri79@hotmail.com Phone: +996-548384225 / +966-507677555

ABSTRACT

Background: Poor compliance with hand hygiene (HH) is associated with higher rates of hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Aim: to determine HH compliance of intensive care units (ICUs) visitors as well as knowledge of visitors towards HAI. Methods: This crosssectional study utilized a self-administered questionnaire to collect demographic data and assess visitors' knowledge regarding HAI. Visitors were also directly observed to assess HH before entering and after exiting ICU. Results: A total of 381 persons participated in this study. Only 25.7% used antiseptic solution before entering the ICU. The mean knowledge score was 5.08+2.09. Most respondents (81.4%) had moderate to high levels of knowledge, while 18.6% had a low level of knowledge. Compliance with HH was significantly associated with male gender (p= 0.009), but not with level of knowledge. The level of knowledge was significantly associated with male gender (p= 0.005) and educational level (p= 0.042). Conclusions: Rate of visitors’ compliance with HH was low and was not related to knowledge. Education of visitors about the importance of HH in preventing HAI is required. Reminders of HH should be used.

Keywords: compliance; hand hygiene; hospital-acquired infections; intensive care unit; nosocomial infection.

Medical Science, 2020, 24(105), 3614-3622

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