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An Observational Study of Hand Washing and Infection Control Practices by Healthcare Workers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2016

Chatrchai Watanakunakorn ,
Catherine Wang  and
John Hazy
Chatrchai Watanakunakorn*
Affiliation:
St Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, Ohio
Catherine Wang
Affiliation:
St Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, Ohio
John Hazy
Affiliation:
St Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, Ohio
*
St Elizabeth Health Center, 1044 Belmont Ave, Youngstown, OH 44501-1790
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Abstract

During a 6-week period, a medical student conducted an observational study of hand washing and infection control practices in a community teaching hospital. There was no difference in the prevalence of handwashing practices among the three work shifts. The prevalence of hand washing was higher in surgical (56.4%) and medical intensive-care units (39.2%) than in intermediate (30.0%) or general units (22.8%).

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 19 , Issue 11 , November 1998 , pp. 858 - 860
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1998

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