The important role of sink location in handwashing compliance and microbial sink contamination

Elaine Cloutman-Green; Oya Kalaycioglu; Hedieh Wojani; John C Hartley; Serge Guillas; Deirdre Malone; Vanya Gant; Colin Grey; Nigel Klein

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2013.12.020

The important role of sink location in handwashing compliance and microbial sink contamination

Am J Infect Control. 2014 May;42(5):554-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2013.12.020.

Authors

Elaine Cloutman-Green¹, Oya Kalaycioglu², Hedieh Wojani³, John C Hartley⁴, Serge Guillas², Deirdre Malone⁴, Vanya Gant⁵, Colin Grey⁶, Nigel Klein⁷

Affiliations

¹ Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Camelia Botnar Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Prevention and Control, London, UK. Electronic address: [email protected].
² University College London, Department of Statistical Science, London, UK.
³ University College London, Institute of Child Health, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Unit, London, UK; HaCIRIC, The University of Reading, Reading, UK.
⁴ Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Camelia Botnar Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Prevention and Control, London, UK.
⁵ University College London Hospital, Department of Microbiology, London, UK.
⁶ HaCIRIC, The University of Reading, Reading, UK.
⁷ University College London, Institute of Child Health, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Unit, London, UK.

PMID: 24773795
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2013.12.020

Abstract

Handwashing is one of the most important means of reducing the spread of infection. In this study, we investigated how sink location and visibility influences handwashing and microbial contamination detected on clinical sinks in 3 pediatric intensive care units. We conclude that the visibility of sinks directly impacts on handwashing frequency and duration and also impacts on levels of bacterial contamination on and around the sink area.

Keywords: Health care environment; Health care-associated infection; Intensive care; Multilevel analysis; Sinks.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Environmental Microbiology*
Guideline Adherence / statistics & numerical data*
Hand Disinfection / trends*
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Infection Control / methods*
Intensive Care Units

Grants and funding

HCS/D10/010/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom