[A hand hygiene education program. Comparison between handwashing and the use of alcohol solutions]. / Programa de formación sobre la higiene de las manos. Estudio comparativo aleatorizado del lavado higiénico y el uso de soluciones alcohólicas.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of a hand hygiene education program in nursing staff, and to compare the efficacy of handwashing with and without the application of alcohol solutions. METHOD: A hand hygiene educational program was applied in nursing professionals through theoretical and practical workshops. The workshops were evaluated through a student satisfaction survey. During the training period, a prospective randomized study was performed and the students were divided into 3 groups. The results of routine handwashing, handwashing after the training period, and the application of alcohol solutions were compared. A hand culture was taken from all participants before and after each intervention and the reduction in the number of colony-forming units (CFU) was evaluated. In a fourth group, artificial contamination was performed and the effectiveness of routine handwashing was analyzed by detection of residual contamination with ultraviolet light. RESULTS: Seventy-three workshops were imparted, with 792 students (462 nurses, 26 midwives and 304 nursing auxiliaries). Overall evaluation of the course was 8.3/10 and the trainers' score was 9/10. The mean reduction in CFU was 100.7 in the routine handwashing group, 100.3 in the group performing handwashing according to the protocol, and 118.2 in the alcohol solution group (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: The hand hygiene training program was well regarded by the nursing staff. The reduction in bacterial count was greater when alcohol solutions were used than in other forms of handwashing.