Simplifying the World Health Organization (WHO) Protocol for Hand Hygiene: Three Steps and 15 Seconds (SIHAG II)

Simplifying Hand Hygiene Technique: Six Steps and 30 Seconds Versus Six Steps and 15 Seconds Versus Three Steps and 30 Seconds Versus Three Steps and 15 Seconds

This study is to investigate that non-inferiority in terms of reduction of bacterial counts will be retained when combining the simpler three-step technique for the use of hand rub with a shorter application time of 15 seconds.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hand Hygiene
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds; Procedure: Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds; Procedure: Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds; Procedure: Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds

Detailed Description

The WHO guideline recommends 30 seconds for application of hand rub, however, mean bacterial reduction after 15 seconds of hand rubbing has been recently shown to be non-inferior and shortening application time to 15 seconds has been suggested to improve the frequency of hand hygiene actions in a neonatal care unit. This study is to investigate that non-inferiority in terms of reduction of bacterial counts will be retained when combining the simpler three-step technique for the use of hand rub with a shorter application time of 15 seconds.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Basel, Switzerland, 4031
    • Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 31 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Medical students are eligible for participation
• Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• No signed informed consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Screening
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 6-step hygiene technique, application time of 30 seconds	Procedure: Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds; Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds
Experimental: 6-step hygiene technique, application time of 15 seconds	Procedure: Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds; Six-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds
Experimental: 3-step hygiene technique, application time of 30 seconds	Procedure: Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds; Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 30 seconds
Experimental: 3-step hygiene technique, application time of 15 seconds	Procedure: Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds; Three-step hand hygiene technique with an application time of 15 seconds

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change of bacterial counts on hands	Change of bacterial counts on hands as determined by the mean logarithmic reduction in bacterial counts after performance of hand hygiene	30 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Andreas Widmer, Prof. Dr. MD, University Hospital Basel, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 15, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 21, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): February 21, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 24, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): September 25, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 8, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2020
• Last Verified: April 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: reduction of bacterial counts; hand hygiene technique
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2019-01518; me19Widmer

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No