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Volume 7, Number 2—April 2001
THEME ISSUE
4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-Associated Infections
Prevention is Primary

Improving Adherence to Hand Hygiene Practice: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Didier PittetComments to Author 
Author affiliation: University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

Main Article

Table 2

Improved adherence with hand hygiene practice compared with hospital infection rates

Year Authors Hospital setting Results Ref.
1977 Casewell and Philips Adult ICU Reduction in HIa due to endemic Klebsiella spp 58
1982 Maki and Hecht Adult ICU Reduction in HI rates 59
1984 Massanari and Heirholzer Adult ICU Reduction in NI rates 60
1990 Simmons et al. Adult ICU No effect 22
1992 Doebbeling et al. Adult ICU Significant difference in rates of HI between two different hand hygiene agents 7
1994 Webster et al. NICU Elimination of MRSA 61
1995 Zafar et al. Newborn nursery Elimination of MRSA 62
1999 Pittet et al. Hospital-wide Significant reduction in HI and MRSA cross-transmission rates 63

aHI = hospital infection; ICU = intensive care unit; NICU = neonatal ICU; MRSA = methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Article

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