Hand hygiene practices of health care workers in the operating : an observational study

Abstract EN

Background: Healthcare Associated infections (HCAIs) remain to be a major health concern.

Nonetheless, there is a few data showing the adherence on hand-hygiene practices in OT.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to present and show the real picture of the hand-hygiene practices inside the operating theater of Al-Bayda Medical Center in September 2022.

This will serve as a baseline data for any intervention necessary.

Methods: This is an observational qualitative study including the surgeons, anesthesiologists, and scrub nurses who are participating in the surgical procedures and must perform surgical hand washing before the surgery.

Using a formulated checklist, each OT staff were observed while the observers are simultaneously recording the results.

Results: 34 doctors and 16 nurses were covertly observed.

The age group of 21-30 and 31-40 comprise the majority of the respondents, which is 18 (36%) and 16 (32%), respectively; 29 are female and 21 are male.

34 out of 50 respondents are married.

26 of the respondents graduated from their college course; Eight (16%) are post-graduate.

The rest are vocational (14) and high school (2) graduates, which are the nurses.

96% of respondents correctly wear and tuck scrubs suit, wear cap and mask.7 out of 50 are wearing ring.

11 touched the sink and/or their clothing touched the sink and even got wet at least once.

14 of the respondents turned off after they have wet their hands.42 respondents held their hands higher than the elbow.

12 respondents did not use soap and just washed their hands with water.

The rest are applying soap only on the hands, not including the arms and elbow.

Only 13 respondents thoroughly wash and clean the hands covering all the areas (palm, fingertips, interlaced, fingertip, thumb, sided of fingertip, wrist, arm, and elbows for at least 2 minutes.

34 did it but only less than 30 seconds; while the 3 did not do it at all.

Only 3 respondents scrub the arms to 3 inch above the elbow for at least one minute; 47 washed only up to the wrist.

4 respondents cleaned their nails using the brush.

45 respondents rinse off thoroughly, starting off from the fingertips, down to the elbows under the flowing water.

12 respondents turned-off the faucet using their hands.

4 respondents lowered their hands while going inside the OT.

Conclusion: Majority of the healthcare workers are not practicing surgical hand washing correctly inside the operating theater.

16 out of 16 of birth attendants are either high school graduate or diploma.