Handwashing Practices in Health Care Professionals of allied Hospitals of Rawalpindi Medical University

Abstract

Objective: To assess the practice of hand washing in the teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi Medical University.

Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted by on-site observations of HCP regarding hand-hygiene compliance in allied hospitals of Rawalpindi Medical University. Health care professionals having any sort of allergy or sensitivity problem of hands were excluded. A predesigned checklist was used to collect the data. In all the hospitals included in our study, a proper technique, provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), is displayed in almost all the wards.

Results: A total of 218 respondents (74 doctors, 71 medical students and 73 nurses) were observed. Out of these, medical students had best hand-washing practices when compared to that of doctors and nurses. Basic hand-washing facilities were available in all the hospitals but only 36.6% of health-care professionals (10.58% Doctors, 19.58% Medical students, 6.45% nurses) with p value=0.05 practiced hand-washing. Moreover, out of the 36.6%, only 19.22% (p=0.01) followed WHO technique of handwashing, whereas, 86.7% of them used antiseptic solution.

Conclusion: Despite the bedside availability of antiseptic solution in all the three hospitals, inadequate compliance was seen in health-care professionals. A multi-disciplinary, multidimensional approach is required to challenge the problems of non-compliance.