Evaluation of Combination Effect of an Alcohol-based Hand Rub: Introducing Portable Bottles and Providing the Feedback

Abstract

We investigated whether two methods increased amount of alcohol-based hand rub. During a first period, the nurses were given portable bottles of an alcohol-based hand rub. Subsequently, they provided feedback on the amount of alcohol-based hand rub of individuals. The amount of alcohol-based hand rub and isolation rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were investigated.The amount of alcohol-based hand rubs were significantly different (p<0.01) between the baseline (5.3±1.4 mL per patients-days (PD) ) at first period (9.4±2.8 mL per PD) and at second period (14.5±3.8 mL per PD). On the other hand, although MRSA isolation rate were not different between the baseline (14.8%) at first period (11.4%), they were significantly different (p<0.01) between the baseline at second period (8.4%). Thus, we achieved about 15 mL per PD for amount of alcohol-based hand rub; in addition, MRSA isolation rates were significantly decreased after starting two methods. Therefore, these two methods might be important to increase amount of alcohol-based hand rub.