Low hand-hygiene compliance found during anesthesia administration

A study has found that anesthesia providers are missing opportunities to clean their hands during surgical procedures, according to an article on the Medical Express website.

In the study, researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center used video observation to map patterns of anesthesia provider hand contact with anesthesia work environment surfaces to assess hand-hygiene compliance, the article said.

According to the study, anesthesia providers were least likely to perform hand hygiene immediately before patient contact and after contact with the patient's environment. 

The study identifies targets for improved frequency and quality of environmental cleaning, as well as important periods for hand-hygiene compliance, namely induction and emergence from general anesthesia, the authors said.

Read the article.