A multicenter study using positive deviance for improving hand hygiene compliance.

Background: Positive deviance (PD) can be a strategy for the improvement of hand hygiene (HH) compliance.

Methods: This study was conducted in 8 intensive care units and 1 ward at 7 tertiary care, private, and public hospitals. Phase 1 was a 3-month baseline period (from August to October 2011) in which HH counts were performed by observers using iPods (iScrub program).

Measuring hand hygiene compliance in a hematology-oncology unit: a comparative study of methodologies.

Background: In managing hematology-oncology patients, there is a great opportunity for performing hand hygiene (HH).

Methods: Over a 4-month period, we compared HH compliance measurement by 3 different methods: direct observation, electronic handwash counter for alcohol gel, and measuring the volume of product used (alcohol gel) in a 40-bed hematology-oncology unit at a tertiary care, private hospital.

Results: There were 388 directly observed opportunities for HH, and the overall HH compliance rate was 84.

An outbreak of norovirus infection in a long-term care facility in Brazil.

Objective: To describe a norovirus outbreak in a Brazilian long-term care facility from July 8 to 29, 2005.

Methods: In the first 48 to 72 hours after onset of symptoms in inpatients and employees, the main infection control strategies were staff education, emphasis on hand washing, implementing contact precautions up to 48-72 hours after resolution of symptoms, complete cleaning of the rooms and exclusion of symptomatic employees from work until 48-72 hours after resolution of their symptoms. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the norovirus infections were described based on chart review.