Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T20:13:22.011Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cost Implications of Successful Hand Hygiene Promotion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Didier Pittet ,
Hugo Sax ,
Stéphane Hugonnet  and
Stephan Harbarth
Didier Pittet*
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Hugo Sax
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Stéphane Hugonnet
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Stephan Harbarth
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
*
Infection Control Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Geneva Hospitals, 24, rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva, 14 -Switzerland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We evaluated the costs associated with a sustained and successful campaign for hand hygiene promotion that emphasized alcohol-based handrubs. The total cost of the hand hygiene promotion corresponded to less than 1% of the costs associated with nosocomial infections. Successful hand hygiene promotion is probably cost-saving.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , March 2004 , pp. 264 - 266
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Boyce, JM, Pittet, D. Guideline for hand hygiene in health-care settings: recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2002;23(suppl):Sl–S40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Pittet, D, Hugonnet, S, Harbarth, S, et al. Effectiveness of a hospital-wide programme to improve compliance with hand hygiene. Lancet 2000;356:1307–1312.Google Scholar
3.Hòpitaux Universitaires de Geneve. A New Approach to Prevent Infections in Hospitals. Geneva: Hòpitaux Universitaires de Genéve; 2000. Available at www.hopisafe.ch. Accessed February 22, 2004.Google Scholar
4.Swiss Federal Statistical Office. National Consumer Price Index, Switzerland. Neuchàtel: Swiss Federal Statistical Office; 2001. Available at www.statistik.admin.ch/stat_ch/ber05/eu0501.htm. Accessed October 7, 2003.Google Scholar
5.Pittet, D, Harbarth, S, Ruef, C, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for nosocomial infections in four university hospitals in Switzerland. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1999;20:37–42.Google Scholar
6.Sax, H, Hugonnet, S, Harbarth, S, et al. Variation in nosocomial infection prevalence according to patient care setting: a hospital-wide survey. J Hosp Infect 2001;48:27–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Hugonnet, S, Sax, H, Eggimann, P, et al. Resource utilization of nosocomial infections in critical care. Presented at the American Society of Microbiology Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; September 23–25, 2001; Chicago, IL.Google Scholar
8.Wenzel, RP. The Lowbury lecture: the economics of nosocomial infections. J Hosp Infect 1995;31:79–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Schulgen, G, Kropec, A, Kappstein, I, Daschner, F, Schumacher, M. Estimation of extra hospital stay attributable to nosocomial infections: heterogeneity and timing of events. J Clin Epidemiol 2000;53:409–417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Larson, EL, Aiello, AE, Bastyr, J, et al. Assessment of two hand hygiene regimens for intensive care unit personnel. Crit Care Med 2001;29:944–951.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Boyce, JM. Using alcohol for hand antisepsis: dispelling old myths. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2000;21:438–441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Eggimann, P, Harbarth, S, Constantin, MN, Touveneau, S, Chevrolet, JC, Pittet, D. Impact of a prevention strategy targeted at vascular-access care on incidence of infections acquired in intensive care. Lancet 2000;355:1864–1868.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed