Causes of non adherence to hand hygiene practices in outpatient clinics in Suez canal university hospital

Abstract EN

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 180 of health care providers, and nursing staff in Suez Canal University Hospital to determine causes of non adherence to hand hygiene practices in outpatient clinics.

All the participants were assessed by using direct observation checklist.

The average score of health care team orientation by hand hygiene policies and necessary equipments was 42.066%.

The most deficient items were: no hand washing before contact with the patients and the standard hand washing techniques aren't being followed by the studied health care personnel specially rotating rubbing of the thumbs and palms.

The study showed that 41.3% of the studied health care personnel showed no satisfactory level of compliance to hand wash, and the mentioned causes of non adherence to hand hygiene measures were as follows : 83.33% ascribed the non-adherence to lack of training, 63.89 % of the studied health care personnel mention that it is due to low risk of acquiring infection from patients while absence of role model from colleagues or superiors represent 38.89% of the studied health care personnel, and 5.65% reported occurrence of skin irritation or dryness with using of hand washing agents.

Conclusion: So after educating, observing, and surveying physicians, hand hygiene adherence rates remain disgracefully low.

And physicians perceive hand hygiene as a difficult task.