Simplifying the World Health Organization (WHO) Protocol for Hand Hygiene: Three Steps and 15 Seconds

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Hand Hygiene
• Interventions: Procedure: Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds; Procedure: Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds; Procedure: Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds; Procedure: Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds

• Registration Number: NCT04102488
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Brief Summary

This study is to investigate that non-inferiority in terms of reduction of bacterial counts will be retained when combining the simpler three-step technique for the use of hand rub with a shorter application time of 15 seconds.

Detailed Description

The WHO guideline recommends 30 seconds for application of hand rub, however, mean bacterial reduction after 15 seconds of hand rubbing has been recently shown to be non-inferior and shortening application time to 15 seconds has been suggested to improve the frequency of hand hygiene actions in a neonatal care unit. This study is to investigate that non-inferiority in terms of reduction of bacterial counts will be retained when combining the simpler three-step technique for the use of hand rub with a shorter application time of 15 seconds.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-09-15
• Study First Submitted: 2019-09-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-09-24
• Study First Posted: 2019-09-25
• Primary Completion: 2020-02-21
• Study Completion: 2020-02-21
• Status Verified: 2020-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-04-07
• Last Update Posted: 2020-04-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 80

Inclusion Criteria

• Medical students are eligible for participation
• Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• No signed informed consent

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
6-step hygiene technique, application time of 30 seconds	Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds	-
6-step hygiene technique, application time of 15 seconds	Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds	-
3-step hygiene technique, application time of 30 seconds	Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds	-
3-step hygiene technique, application time of 15 seconds	Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change of bacterial counts on hands	30 minutes	Change of bacterial counts on hands as determined by the mean logarithmic reduction in bacterial counts after performance of hand hygiene

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology; 🇨🇭 Basel, Switzerland