Low Hand Washing Compliance in Hospitals Increasing Superbug Risk
- 20 June 2015
Hand washing compliance rates in public hospitals are being inflated by as much as 30 per cent, an Australian infection control expert says, which could be putting patients at risk of the spread of deadly disease.
It comes as St Vincent's Hospital steps up its infection control procedures in the wake of an emerging superbug, Klebsiella? pneumoniae? carbapenemase-producing bacteria (KPC), which has been detected in 57 people in Victorian hospitals the past three years. It is believed to have contributed to the deaths of at least two people.
Hand hygiene is recognised as one of the key methods of halting the spread of infection in hospitals, with regular audits conducted by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality to analyse compliance rates
" It's like when you're being watched by police on the highway, you slow down. It's the same thing with hand hygiene. We need auditors on the ward that are there to help. "