Irish hospitals previously reached record levels of compliance says report
Hand washing compliance is apparently falling in healthcare facilities across Ireland as the pandemic gradually becomes less important in people’s minds. Hospitals in the country are showing an unfortunate and noticeable decrease, according to a recent report on the Independent.ie website.
The infection control centred measure of hand washing compliance has fallen away in several hospitals in Ireland, having previously been assessed at reportedly “record levels” when the Covid outbreak was at its peak, according to author Eilish O’Regan.
The target set by the Health Service Executive (HSE) is for a compliance rate of 90%, according to the article. The good news is that one establishment attained a 100% figure; Crumlin Children’s Hospital reached this laudable level.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) – which include viruses and so-called “superbugs”, result in “hundreds” of people becoming ill a day in Ireland says the article – which contains a sobering statistic.
“About 30pc to 50pc of infections that start in hospitals can be avoided, the HSE says.”
Effective hand washing is essential for infection control
O’Regan quotes the HSE – stating that
“According to the HSE, every day in Ireland hundreds of people get sick because of healthcare-associated infections, including viruses and superbugs. These infections can cause serious illness and sometimes even death.”
The latest hand washing audit (carried out between Many and June 2022) discovered that compliance across the country fell from 93.2% to 92.6% (figures from October to December 2021).
Perhaps surprisingly, the report highlights that doctors’ level of compliance seems to lag behind many of their colleagues at 86.4%, with nurses (for example) being measured on average at 94.5%.
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