Combined use of alcohol hand rub and gloves reduces the incidence of late onset infection in very low birthweight infants

Objective: To assess the incidence of late onset (> 72 hours) infection and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants in two 36 month periods using two hand hygiene protocols: conventional handwashing (HW; first 36 month period); an alcohol hand rub and gloves techniq...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition 2004-07, Vol.89 (4), p.F336-F340
Main Authors: Ng, P C, Wong, H L, Lyon, D J, So, K W, Liu, F, Lam, R K Y, Wong, E, Cheng, A F B, Fok, T F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
2-Propanol
Administration, Topical
Age
Alcohol
alcohol hand rub
Anti-Infective Agents, Local
Antibiotics
Babies
Birth weight
BPD
bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Combined Modality Therapy
Cross Infection - prevention & control
Data collection
Disease control
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing - prevention & control
Ethanol
Female
gloves
Gloves, Protective
Hand Disinfection
Hospitals
Humans
Hygiene
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature, Diseases - prevention & control
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Infection Control - methods
Infections
Intensive care
Investigations
late onset infection
Male
methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Mortality
MRSA
NEC
necrotising enterocolitis
neonatal intensive care unit
NICU
Nursing
Original
preterm infants
Retrospective Studies
Ventilation
very low birthweight
VLBW
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Summary:Objective: To assess the incidence of late onset (> 72 hours) infection and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants in two 36 month periods using two hand hygiene protocols: conventional handwashing (HW; first 36 month period); an alcohol hand rub and gloves technique (HR; second 36 month period). Method: VLBW infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit during the period December 1993–November 1999 were eligible. A new hand hygiene protocol using alcohol handrub and gloves was introduced in December 1996. Each patient’s case record was reviewed retrospectively by two independent investigators using a standard data collection form. The incidence of NEC and systemic infections, including bacterial or fungal septicaemia, meningitis, and peritonitis, in the two periods were compared. Results: The HW and HR groups contained 161 and 176 VLBW infants respectively. The incidence of late onset systemic infection decreased from 13.5 to 4.8 episodes (including NEC)/1000 patient days after introduction of the HR regimen, representing a 2.8-fold reduction. Similarly, the incidence of Gram positive, Gram negative, and fungal infections decreased 2.5-fold, 2.6-fold, and 7-fold respectively. There was also a significant reduction in the incidence of NEC in the HR group (p 
ISSN:1359-2998
1468-2052
DOI:10.1136/adc.2003.031104