Updates and future directions regarding hand hygiene in the healthcare setting: insights from the 3rd ICPIC alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) task force

World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care: first global patient safety challenge clean care is safer care. Geneva: WHO; 2009.

Google Scholar 

Kramer A, Arvand M, Christiansen B, Dancer S, Eggers M, Exner M, Müller D, Mutters NT, Schwebke I, et al. Ethanol is indispensable for virucidal hand antisepsis: memorandum from the alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) Task Force, WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, and the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2022;11(1):93.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

ISO 23447:2023. Healthcare organization management; Hand hygiene performance. 2023. [Cited:15 December]. https://www.iso.org/standard/75612.html?browse=tc.

Leslie RA, Zhou SS, Macinga DR. Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Am J Infect Control. 2021;49(3):401–2.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Golin AP, Choi D, Ghahary A. Hand sanitizers: a review of ingredients, mechanisms of action, modes of delivery, and efficacy against coronaviruses. Am J Infect Control. 2020;48(9):1062–7.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Kratzel A, Todt D, V’Kovski P, Steiner S, Gultom M, Thao TTN, Ebert N, Holwerda M, Steinmann J, et al. Inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and alcohols. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(7):1592–5.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Singh D, Joshi K, Samuel A, Patra J, Mahindroo N. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers as first line of defence against SARS-CoV-2: a review of biology, chemistry and formulations. Epidemiol Infect. 2020;148: e229.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Hirose R, Ikegaya H, Naito Y, Watanabe N, Yoshida T, Bandou R, Daidoji T, Itoh Y, Nakaya T. Survival of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza virus on human skin: importance of hand hygiene in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clin Infect Dis. 2021;73(11):e4329–35.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Bellissimo-Rodrigues F, Pires D, Soule H, Gayet-Ageron A, Pittet D. Assessing the likelihood of hand-to-hand cross-transmission of bacteria: an experimental study. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017;38(5):553–8.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Tschudin-Sutter S, Sepulcri D, Dangel M, Schuhmacher H, Widmer AF. Compliance with the World Health Organization hand hygiene technique: a prospective observational study. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2015;36(4):482–3.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Stewardson AJ, Iten A, Camus V, Gayet-Ageron A, Caulfield D, Lacey G, Pittet D. Efficacy of a new educational tool to improve Handrubbing technique amongst healthcare workers: a controlled, before-after study. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(9): e105866.

Article  ADS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Pires D, Bellissimo-Rodrigues F, Soule H, Gayet-Ageron A, Pittet D. Revisiting the WHO “How to Handrub” hand hygiene technique: fingertips first? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017;38(2):230–3.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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(12 Suppl):S3-40.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Tschudin-Sutter S, Sepulcri D, Dangel M, Ulrich A, Frei R, Widmer AF. Simplifying the world health organization protocol: 3 steps versus 6 steps for performance of hand hygiene in a cluster-randomized trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69(4):614–20.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Reilly JS, Price L, Lang S, Robertson C, Cheater F, Skinner K, Chow A. A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of 6-step vs 3-step hand hygiene technique in acute hospital care in the United Kingdom. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2016;37(6):661–6.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Price L, Gozdzielewska L, Matuluko A, Pittet D, Allegranzi B, Reilly J. Comparing the effectiveness of hand hygiene techniques in reducing the microbial load and covering hand surfaces in healthcare workers: Updated systematic review. Am J Infect Control. 2022;50(10):1079–90.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Boyce JM. Hand hygiene, an update. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2021;35(3):553–73.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Leslie R, Donskey C, Zabarsky T, Parker A, Macinga D, Assadian O. Measuring alcohol-based hand rub volume used by healthcare workers in practice. Antimicrobial Resis Infect Control. 2015;4(1):1.

Google Scholar 

Kenters N, Eikelenboom-Boskamp A, Hines J, McGeer A, Huijskens EGW, Voss A. Product dose considerations for real-world hand sanitiser efficacy. Am J Infect Control. 2020;48(5):503–6.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Widmer AE, Dangel M. Alcohol-based handrub: evaluation of technique and microbiological efficacy with international infection control professionals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2004;25(3):207–9.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Wilkinson MAC, Ormandy K, Bradley CR, Hines J. Comparison of the efficacy and drying times of liquid, gel and foam formats of alcohol-based hand rubs. J Hosp Infect. 2018;98(4):359–64.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Macinga DR, Shumaker DJ, Werner HP, Edmonds SL, Leslie RA, Parker AE, Arbogast JW. The relative influences of product volume, delivery format and alcohol concentration on dry-time and efficacy of alcohol-based hand rubs. BMC Infect Dis. 2014;14:511.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Suchomel M, Leslie RA, Parker AE, Macinga DR. How long is enough? Identification of product dry-time as a primary driver of alcohol-based hand rub efficacy. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2018;7:65.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics Hygienic handrub. Test method and requirements (phase 2/step 2), EN 1500 :1997 (1997).

Martinello RA, Arbogast JW, Guercia K, Parker AE, Boyce JM. Nursing preference for alcohol-based hand rub volume. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2019;40(11):1248–52.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Bellissimo-Rodrigues F, Soule H, Gayet-Ageron A, Martin Y, Pittet D. Should alcohol-based handrub use be customized to healthcare workers’ hand size? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2016;37(2):219–21.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Vermeil T, Peters A, Kilpatrick C, Pires D, Allegranzi B, Pittet D. Hand hygiene in hospitals: anatomy of a revolution. J Hosp Infect. 2019;101(4):383–92.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Pires D, Soule H, Bellissimo-Rodrigues F, Gayet-Ageron A, Pittet D. Hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub: how long is long enough? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017;38(5):547–52.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Paula H, Becker R, Assadian O, Heidecke CD, Kramer A. Wettability of hands during 15-second and 30-second handrub time intervals: a prospective, randomized crossover study. Am J Infect Control. 2018;46(9):1032–5.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Kramer A, Pittet D, Klasinc R, Krebs S, Koburger T, Fusch C, Assadian O. Shortening the application time of alcohol-based hand rubs to 15 seconds may improve the frequency of hand antisepsis actions in a neonatal intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017;38(12):1430–4.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Harnoss JC, Dancer SJ, Kaden CF, Baguhl R, Kohlmann T, Papke R, Zygmunt M, Assadian O, Suchomel M, et al. Hand antisepsis without decreasing efficacy by shortening the rub-in time of alcohol-based handrubs to 15 seconds. J Hosp Infect. 2020;104(4):419–24.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Park HY, Kim SK, Lim YJ, Kwak SH, Hong MJ, Mun HM, Park SY, Kim HJ, Choi HR, et al. Assessment of the appropriateness of hand surface coverage for health care workers according to World Health Organization hand hygiene guidelines. Am J Infect Control. 2014;42(5):559–61.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Glowicz JB, Landon E, Sickbert-Bennett EE, Aiello AE, deKay K, Hoffmann KK, Maragakis L, Olmsted RN, Polgreen PM, et al. SHEA/IDSA/APIC practice recommendation: strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene: 2022 update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023;44(3):355–76.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Price L, Gozdzielewska L, Alejandre JC, Jorgenson A, Stewart E, Pittet D, Reilly J. Systematic review on factors influencing the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand rubbing in healthcare. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2022;11(1):16.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Edmonds SL, Macinga DR, Mays-Suko P, Duley C, Rutter J, Jarvis WR, Arbogast JW. Comparative efficacy of commercially available alcohol-based hand rubs and World Health Organization-recommended hand rubs: formulation matters. Am J Infect Control. 2012;40(6):521–5.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Barbut F, Maury E, Goldwirt L, Boëlle PY, Neyme D, Aman R, Rossi B, Offenstadt G. Comparison of the antibacterial efficacy and acceptability of an alcohol-based hand rinse with two alcohol-based hand gels during routine patient care. J Hosp Infect. 2007;66(2):167–73.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Verwilghen D, Osiak K, Shaw AD, Averay K, Kampf G, van Galen G. Identifying drivers for user preference and acceptability of different hydro-alcoholic hand rub formulations. J Hosp Infect. 2021;117:17–22.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Traore O, Hugonnet S, Lübbe J, Griffiths W, Pittet D. Liquid versus gel handrub formulation: a prospective intervention study. Crit Care. 2007;11(3):R52.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Comments (0)

No login
gif