Resumen de Hand hygiene: a review of understanding and attitudes of healthcare professionals
Jéssica Raunne Moreira de Sousa, Luiz Felipe Duarte dos Santos, Ana Amélia Melo, Maria Mascarenhas, Tatiana Vieira Souza Chaves, Tereza Maria Alcântara Neves
Objective: Evaluate hand hygiene performed by health professionals in a public hospital and identify non-adherence factors for the correct technique. Methods: The professionals were submitted to a questionnaire, testing their knowledge of Hand Hygiene Compliance for Health Professionals and were observed while hand washing. Results: 62.5% received training either during undergraduation course, or by the hospital, while 37.5% did not know how to do the technique. Regarding the reason for the noncompliance of proper hygiene techniques, 61.1% of professionals said that excessive professional activity, and insufficient time are the main causes. 44.4% mentioned the lack of priority of the institution as to the procedure and 16.6% lack the time to perform the technique. Conclusion: It appears that most of the professionals interviewed did not obey the rules recommended hand hygiene and the main reason is no time due to excessive workload. Descriptors: Infection, Hand hygiene, health professionals.
