Hand Hygiene

The Infection Control Today® hand hygiene page examines the practice of hand hygiene, from the proper methods to adherence among hospital staff. Will greater recognition of hand hygiene’s importance in curbing the spread of infections translate into better adherence among hospital staff and the public? This page features videos that demonstrate exactly how to conduct hand hygiene properly, articles recapping peer-reviewed literature on the latest advances in monitoring and adherence, as well as the popular "Bug of the Month" feature.

When Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Comes Calling

November 27, 2020

CRAB has chameleon-like tendencies that allow it to absorb material from other organisms, and that allows it to ward off most antibiotics. It’s a Superbug.

Study: Doctors’ Phones Too Often Contaminated by MRSA

November 18, 2020

Study: “These results strongly recommend routine daily cleaning of mobile phones for effective reduction of device contamination; moreover, medical staff should perform hand hygiene before and after using mobile phones.”

Study: Hand Hygiene Badge Boosts Compliance, Cuts C. Diff Rates

November 17, 2020

During the period that employees wore a monitoring badge, compliance with hand hygiene protocols increased significantly.

Study: Providers See the Light and Hand Hygiene Improves

November 12, 2020

Danish investigators wanted to see if a nudge provided by a green smiley face light on dispensers of alcohol-based disinfectant would improve hand hygiene compliance of nurses and doctors. It did. Greatly.

Checklists for Infection Preventionists Working in ORs

November 11, 2020

New infection preventionists can use this checklist to perform IP rounds in the surgical suite, decontamination areas, and sterile processing area.

COVID Unleashes the ‘Lurking Scourge’ Candida Auris

November 11, 2020

Candida auris is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods. It can be misidentified in labs without specific technology, which can lead to mismanagement.

When Patients Become Hand Hygiene Police

November 03, 2020

The investigators say that their findings underscore the importance of encouraging and “empowering” patients to be a part of efforts to improve hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers.

Q&A: CDC Wants to Help Infection Preventionists

October 29, 2020

Michael Bell, MD: “The challenge that infection control professionals face has grown tremendously. We’re asking these individuals to not only be experts, but also to take responsibility for such a wide range of activities ... and finding ways to help them accomplish what they’re doing across the whole population of healthcare personnel is the rationale behind Project Firstline.”

Healthcare-Acquired Infections Not Reported Enough

October 23, 2020

Too many hospitals apparently do not use the CDC’s Hospital Toolkit for Adult Sepsis Surveillance, which may explain the number of healthcare-acquired infections that remain unreported.

Not Thinking Outside the ‘Red Box’ Endangers Patients

October 22, 2020

When healthcare workers using the red box stepped into the patients’ rooms, there was “significantly increased non-compliance” with PPE and hand hygiene protocols compared to those healthcare workers who went into rooms without red boxes.