PubMed · 8697774
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B R Linn. 1996. Ice floe.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8697774/
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BACKGROUND: Nosocomial infection is a leading complication in intensive care units. Although hand hygiene is the single most efficient preventive measure, compliance with this simple action remains low. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of an intervention to promote hand hygiene and to investigate risk factors for noncompliance in intensive care units. METHODS: We performed 7 observational surveys and implemented a promotional campaign after baseline in medical, surgical, and pediatric intensive care units of a teaching hospital. Health care workers were observed during routine patient care. The intervention consisted of a hospitalwide promotional campaign, including observation and performance feedback, posters display, and distribution of individual bottles of alcohol-based handrub. The main outcome measure was compliance with hand hygiene through handwashing or handrubbing. RESULTS: We observed 2743 opportunities for hand hygiene distributed over 248 periods. Overall compliance increased from 38.4% to 54.5% during the study (P<.001). Although recourse to handwashing remained stable at around 30%, handrubbing increased from 5.4% at baseline to 21.7% at the last survey (P<.001). Compliance increased among nurses and nursing assistants, but remained stable among physicians. Handwashing compliance decreased, on average, by 4.7% for an increase of 10 opportunities for hand hygiene per hour of patient care (P<.001), whereas no such association existed for handrubbing. CONCLUSIONS: Our intervention induced a marked and sustained increase in compliance with hand hygiene. In intensive care units, less time-consuming handrubbing might replace standard handwashing and overcome the barrier of time constraints.
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Prognostic factors for ICU-patients during and after ICU-discharge are reviewed as well as predisposing factors for readmissions. The overall mortality for ICU-patients are in most studies in the range of 12-32%, with a mortality rate after ICU discharge of 15-35%. Prognostic factors for mortality include age, severity of illness, diagnosis, multi-organ failure, nosocomial infections and a prolonged ICU stay. Readmissions to ICU are not uncommon and usually (45-65%) related to the underlying illness. The use of High Dependency Units or a sufficient ICU capacity might reduce the mortality rate as well as the rate of readmissions.