How-to Guide: Improving Hand Hygiene

Health-care-associated infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients worldwide. Such infections affect nearly 2 million individuals annually in the United States and are responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths each year. Transmission of health-care-associated pathogens most often occurs via the contaminated hands of health care workers. Accordingly, hand hygiene (i.e., handwashing with soap and water or use of a waterless, alcohol-based hand rub) has long been considered one of the most important infection control measures for preventing health-care-associated infections. However, compliance by health care workers with recommended hand hygiene procedures has remained unacceptable, with compliance rates generally below 50% of hand hygiene opportunities.

The purpose of this guide is to help organizations reduce health-care-associated infections, including infections due to antibiotic-resistant organisms, by improving hand hygiene practices and use of gloves among health care workers.