Premium
Use of antiseptic hand rubs in the health and community services industry: an Australian population‐based survey
Author(s) -
MacFarlane Ewan,
LaMontagne Anthony D.,
Driscoll Tim,
Nixon Rosemary L.,
Keegel Tessa
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
contact dermatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0536
pISSN - 0105-1873
DOI - 10.1111/cod.12399
Subject(s) - medicine , hand sanitizer , environmental health , population , confidence interval , odds ratio , logistic regression , personal protective equipment , covid-19 , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Summary Background The use of antiseptic hand rubs ( AHR s), rather than washing with soap and water, is considered to be the gold standard for reducing the frequency of nosocomial infections, as well as being less damaging to the hands than washing with soap and water, but little is known at a population level about usage patterns for AHR s. Objectives To describe AHR use patterns among workers in the health and community services industry in Australia. Methods Using data from a population‐based survey of Australian workers, we focused on health and community services workers' exposure to chemicals at work, including the use of AHRs . Data regarding the frequency of hand‐washing were also collected. Results Nine hundred and fifty‐six health and community service workers participated in the Australian National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance survey. Of these, 11% reported using AHR s, and 31% reported hand‐washing >20 times per shift. According to an adjusted logistic regression model, professional workers [adjusted odds ratio ( aOR ) 2.29, 95% confidence interval ( CI ): 1.40–3.72] and frequent hand washers ( aOR 3.08, 95% CI : 1.92−4.93) were more likely to use AHRs . Conclusions AHR use by health and community service workers was generally lower than expected. AHR use was most likely to be reported by professionals and frequent hand washers, suggesting that AHR s are used as an adjunct to conventional hand‐washing.