Handwashing found to cut hospital superbug infections

Handwashing helped slash rates of infection of methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA and C difficile in hospitals British researchers have found

After the quotCleanyourhandsquot campaign rolled out at hospitals in England and Wales between 2004 and 2008 infection rates for the antibioticresistant strains fell The bacterial infections claim thousands of lives a year in Europe Canada and the US according to the World Health Organization

The amount of soap and sanitizer purchased by hospitals was used to judge the effectiveness of a handwashing campaign for reducing infection rates Paul ChiassonCanadian Press
As part of the campaign alcohol hand rub was provided at bedsides posters were distributed to remind healthcare workers to clean their hands and they received regular checks on compliance

quotThe study suggests that national infection control interventions including a hand hygiene campaign undertaken in the context of a high profile political drive can successfully reduce selected healthcare associated infectionsquot lead author Dr Sheldon Stone of the University College London Medical School and his coauthors concluded in this weeks issue of the British Medical Journal

The researchers looked at how much soap and sanitizer that hospitals bought every four months from 2005 to 2009 as well as the number of infections

Rates fell for MRSA fell from 188 cases per 10000 bed days to 091 per 10000 bed days A bed day counts as one patient in a bed for one day

C difficile rates dropped from 1675 per 10000 bed days to 934

Soap is thought to work better for reducing C difficile infections The bacterial spores can linger on surfaces like toilet seats and doorknobs for weeks if not properly disinfected

The findings could offer a model for other countries to adopt or adapt the team said

On Saturday the World Health Organization celebrates its Save Lives Clean Your Hands campaign for facilities that have adopted plans to improve hand hygiene like the UK initiative

Date : 05 May, 2012
Reference : http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/05/04/handwashing-c-difficile-mrsa-hospital-infections.html

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