The association between shift patterns and the quality of hand antisepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit: an observational study

Abstract Background Healthcare-associated infections represent a major burden in neonatal intensive care units. Hand antisepsis is the most important tool for prevention, however, compliance among healthcare workers remains low. Objectives To prospectively evaluate the influence of different work shifts (extended working hours, night shifts) on the quality of healthcare workers’ hand antisepsis. Design Observational study. Settings Two equivalent “Level III” neonatal intensive care units at the University Hospital Vienna, Austria. Participants Seventy healthcare workers, 46 nurses and 24 physicians. Methods The Semmelweis Scanner, an innovative training device assessing the quality of hand antisepsis with an ultraviolet dye labelled alcohol-based hand rub, was employed to collect data on the hand surface coverage achieved during hand antisepsis of participants. It provides visual feedback of appropriately versus inappropriately disinfected areas of the hand and can also be used for the objective quantification of hand surface coverage with the hand rub. Measurements were performed before and after 12.5 hour (h) day and night shifts (nurses), as well as before and after regular 8h day shifts and extended 25h shifts (physicians). To avoid any bias caused by residual ultraviolet marker, scans had to be separated by 24 hours periods. Primary outcome was the hand surface coverage with the hand rub: Hand scans were categorized as “passed” if an appropriate quality of hand hygiene, defined as a minimum 97% coverage of hand surface, was achieved. A generalized mixed model was used to analyse the data accounting for repeated measurements. Results Seventy healthcare workers performed a total of 485 scans. Sixteen scans had to be excluded, resulting in 466 scans for further analyses. A difference in the predicted probability of achieving appropriate hand antisepsis was found between the beginning and end of extended shifts: In physicians, adequate hand antisepsis was remarkably reduced after 25h shifts (predicted probability 99.4% vs 78.8%), whereas there was no relevant difference between the beginning and end of 8h day shifts (92.2% vs 97.3%). In nurses, a relevant difference was found between the beginning and end of 12.5h day shifts (88.6% vs 73.6%). This difference was not found for 12.5h night shifts. The most frequently missed area on the hands was the right dorsum. Conclusion The quality of hand antisepsis of healthcare workers in neonatal intensive care units may be associated with long working hours.