BackgroundSoap and water is more effective than alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) at removing Clostridium difficile spores from hands. Our institution mandates that healthcare workers (HCW) use soap and water after contact with the patient or their environment for any C. difficile infection (CDI); CDC and SHEA recommend this only in outbreak settings for three main reasons: lack of evidence that preferential soap and water use reduces CDI, concerns that inconsistent messaging may result in decreased hand hygiene overall, and that glove use obviates soap and water use. The objective of this study was to investigate hand hygiene practices after caring for CDI patients.
展开▼
