IMPACT OF HAND HYGIENE COMPLIANCE ON THE INCIDENCE OF HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS AMONG NURSING STAFF IN KARACHI

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as healthcare-associated infections, continue to be a major patient-safety problem for healthcare systems globally. These infections contribute to increased morbidity and mortality of patients, length of hospital stay, use of antimicrobials and overall health care costs. Hand hygiene is generally accepted as one of the most effective, simple and cost-effective measures for preventing the transmission of infectious microorganisms in the clinical setting. Although there are guidelines for infection control, healthcare workers, especially nurses, don’t always follow hand hygiene protocols due to high workloads, lack of resources, lack of monitoring, and lack of safety culture in the institution. The adherence to hand hygiene and the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in inpatients were studied. Methods A quantitative descriptive correlational design was employed in the study and data were collected from 23 participants using a hand hygiene observation checklist, hospital infection records and a structured questionnaire. Reliability analysis revealed a high level of internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha .966. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the study variables and Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between hand hygiene and infection scores. The results demonstrated a strong statistically significant relationship between hand hygiene and infection scores, r = .977, p < .001. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected and alternative hypothesis accepted. The results emphasized the necessity of improved adherence to hand hygiene by means of formal training, periodic monitoring, adequate resources, feedback mechanisms, and strict enforcement of infection-control policies. The study concluded that hand hygiene continues to be an important measure for the prevention of infections and a guarantee of patient safety in hospitals.