Abstract
Hand hygiene is recognized as one of the most important measures for preventing the spread of health care-associated infections, but there is little data regarding the actual situation of hand hygiene practice in Japan. Therefore, we undertook a questionnaire survey in Nara Prefecture to elucidate the current situation. Questionnaires were sent to 23 nurses from 23 institutions who participated at the meeting of the Nara Infection Control Network held on October 15, 2011. Eighteen institutions responded to the survey. All hospitals were equipped with liquid soap and hand hygiene antiseptics. Eight hospitals (44%) surveyed hand hygiene compliance, but only one gave the hand hygiene compliance rate. All institutions had educational programs at least once a year. The programs included instruction on hand hygiene, educational movies, and evaluation of hand hygiene practice with fluorescent powder. Most of the hospitals had adequate hand hygiene equipment and provided educational programs for hand hygiene. However, hospitals with adequate hand hygiene monitoring such as direct observation are rare.
