The intersection of hand hygiene, infusion pump contamination, and high alarm volume in the health care environment.
Alarm fatigue
Environmental contamination
Hand hygiene compliance
Health care-associated infection
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:
11 2020
11 2020
Historique:
received:
27
11
2019
revised:
02
04
2020
accepted:
03
04
2020
pubmed:
20
4
2020
medline:
25
6
2021
entrez:
20
4
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Researchers have found that lack of hand hygiene and environmental contamination are sources of infection transmission in the health care environment. One factor that may lead to lack of hand hygiene is alarm fatigue, the sensory overload that results when clinicians are exposed to an excessive number of alarms, causing them to silence alarms without taking proper precautions. In this study, we report hand hygiene compliance and infusion pump contamination in the context of infusion pump alarm prevalence. Health care worker hand hygiene audits were conducted to determine percent compliance. Cultures were obtained from infusion pumps to determine environmental contamination. The frequency of alarms from August 4, 2019 to September 7, 2019 was determined. Hand hygiene compliance ranged from 50% to 87%. Pump contamination ranged from 20% to 70% per unit. A total of 116, 872 infusion pump alarms sounded in the hospital. Pumps were contaminated primarily with skin flora. This was demonstrated in the context of poor hand hygiene compliance and a high number of alarms, indicative of alarm fatigue. The intersection of a high prevalence of infusion pump alarms and poor hand hygiene resulting in bacterial contamination of pumps could be a source of health care-associated infection transmission for patients.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Researchers have found that lack of hand hygiene and environmental contamination are sources of infection transmission in the health care environment. One factor that may lead to lack of hand hygiene is alarm fatigue, the sensory overload that results when clinicians are exposed to an excessive number of alarms, causing them to silence alarms without taking proper precautions. In this study, we report hand hygiene compliance and infusion pump contamination in the context of infusion pump alarm prevalence.
METHODS
Health care worker hand hygiene audits were conducted to determine percent compliance. Cultures were obtained from infusion pumps to determine environmental contamination. The frequency of alarms from August 4, 2019 to September 7, 2019 was determined.
RESULTS
Hand hygiene compliance ranged from 50% to 87%. Pump contamination ranged from 20% to 70% per unit. A total of 116, 872 infusion pump alarms sounded in the hospital.
DISCUSSION
Pumps were contaminated primarily with skin flora. This was demonstrated in the context of poor hand hygiene compliance and a high number of alarms, indicative of alarm fatigue.
CONCLUSIONS
The intersection of a high prevalence of infusion pump alarms and poor hand hygiene resulting in bacterial contamination of pumps could be a source of health care-associated infection transmission for patients.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32305430
pii: S0196-6553(20)30207-8
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.04.006
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1311-1314Informations de copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.