An Observational Study of Hand Hygiene Compliance of Surgical Healthcare Workers in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Background: Patients sometimes contract healthcare associated infections (HCAI) which are unrelated to their primary reasons for hospital admission. Surgical site infections are the most investigated and most recurrent type of HCAI in developing countries, affecting up to one-third of surgical patients.

Objective: This study aimed to assess and offer context to the hand hygiene resources available in a Nigerian teaching hospital through ward infrastructure survey, and to determine the hand hygiene compliance rate among surgical healthcare workers (HCWs) in a Nigerian teaching hospital through hand hygiene observations.

Methods: Ward infrastructure survey was conducted in the two adult surgical wards of the hospital using the World Health Organisation (WHO) hand hygiene ward infrastructure survey form. Hand hygiene observations were monitored over seven days in the surgical wards using a modified WHO hand hygiene observation form.
Results: Hand hygiene resources were insufficient, below the WHO recommended minimum standards. Seven hundred hand hygiene opportunities were captured. Using SPSS version 24.0, we conducted a descriptive analysis of audit results, and results were presented according to professional group, seniority, and hand hygiene opportunities of the participants. Overall hand hygiene compliance was 29.1% and compliance was less than 40% across the three professional groups of doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants.

Conclusion: Hand hygiene compliance rates of the surgical HCWs are comparable to those in other Sub-Saharan African countries as well as in developed countries.