Barriers to hand hygiene practices among health care workers in sub-Saharan African countries: A narrative review.
Facilitators
Journal
American journal of infection control
ISSN: 1527-3296
Titre abrégé: Am J Infect Control
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8004854
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
05 2019
05 2019
Historique:
received:
19
07
2018
revised:
10
09
2018
accepted:
11
09
2018
pubmed:
25
11
2018
medline:
22
4
2020
entrez:
25
11
2018
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Hand hygiene (HH) is the primary measure in the prevention of health care-associated infections; however, from published studies, compliance of health care workers (HCWs) to HH guidelines is low. There is currently no review on HH compliance rates in developing countries, specifically sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), or the barriers to compliance. We therefore, through a narrative review, sought to identify the compliance with and the barriers to HH in SSA. From 3 databases, we performed a search of peer-reviewed studies from SSA, conducted among HCWs, published in the English language between 2005 and 2017. Only studies that reported HH compliance and/or barriers were included. A total of 278 articles were identified, and the final sample of 27 articles was analyzed in full length. Overall, the HH compliance rate was estimated to be 21.1%, and doctors had better compliance irrespective of the type of patient contact. The main barriers identified were heavy workload, infrastructural deficit (eg, lack of water, soap, hand sanitizers, and blocked/leaking sinks), and poorly positioned facilities. HH compliance is poor among SSA HCWs. There is a need for more reports of HH compliance in SSA, and emphasis needs to be placed on surgical wards in which surgical site infections-the most common form of health care-associated infections in SSA-are most likely to occur. Barriers identified in this review are consistent with the findings of studies conducted elsewhere; however, it appears that heavy workload, infrastructural deficit, and poorly positioned facilities are more likely in developing countries.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Hand hygiene (HH) is the primary measure in the prevention of health care-associated infections; however, from published studies, compliance of health care workers (HCWs) to HH guidelines is low. There is currently no review on HH compliance rates in developing countries, specifically sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), or the barriers to compliance. We therefore, through a narrative review, sought to identify the compliance with and the barriers to HH in SSA.
METHODS
From 3 databases, we performed a search of peer-reviewed studies from SSA, conducted among HCWs, published in the English language between 2005 and 2017. Only studies that reported HH compliance and/or barriers were included.
RESULTS
A total of 278 articles were identified, and the final sample of 27 articles was analyzed in full length. Overall, the HH compliance rate was estimated to be 21.1%, and doctors had better compliance irrespective of the type of patient contact. The main barriers identified were heavy workload, infrastructural deficit (eg, lack of water, soap, hand sanitizers, and blocked/leaking sinks), and poorly positioned facilities.
CONCLUSIONS
HH compliance is poor among SSA HCWs. There is a need for more reports of HH compliance in SSA, and emphasis needs to be placed on surgical wards in which surgical site infections-the most common form of health care-associated infections in SSA-are most likely to occur. Barriers identified in this review are consistent with the findings of studies conducted elsewhere; however, it appears that heavy workload, infrastructural deficit, and poorly positioned facilities are more likely in developing countries.
Identifiants
pubmed: 30470526
pii: S0196-6553(18)30943-X
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2018.09.014
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
565-573Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.