A program to improve the hand hygiene compliance of Hong Kong preschoolers with an insight into their absenteeism.

Background: Hand hygiene prevents cross-infection and is the most effective defense against contagious diseases. Preschoolers, without proper hand hygiene skills, are a vulnerable group to such diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether hand hygiene compliance training of preschoolers in Hong Kong improves their hand hygiene knowledge and performance, and whether the training reduces their absenteeism resulting from influenza symptoms.

Impact of the first hand sanitizing relay world record on compliance with hand hygiene in a hospital.

Staff of a large hospital in Hong Kong attempted and set the first Guinness World Record for the most participants in a hand sanitizing relay in May 2014. After this event, average compliance with hand hygiene increased from 72% (95% CI, 70%-74%) in 2013 to 85% (95% CI, 83%-87%) in June-July 2014, and the conceptual understanding of good hand hygiene practices improved.

Breaking a Guinness World Record on Hand Sanitizing Relay, initiating a call for vital research in overcoming campaign fatigue for hand hygiene.

Hand hygiene has been shown to be effective in significantly reducing hospital acquired infections for many years. However it is difficult to maintain and enhance compliance with hand hygiene guidelines. In Hong Kong, we previously reported a strategy to counter campaign fatigue from 50%-55% in 2009-11 to 83% in 2012.

Hand hygiene promotion and the participation of infection control link nurses: an effective innovation to overcome campaign fatigue.

Campaign fatigue was evident in a large hospital in Hong Kong when hand hygiene compliance remained just above 50% after 4 years of aggressive and varied promotional activities. A new innovative strategy was developed that directly involved the infection control link nurses both in formulating the strategy and in implementing the various proposed programs. The new strategy was successful in increasing hand hygiene compliance to 83%.

Clinical and nonclinical health care workers faced a similar risk of acquiring 2009 pandemic H1N1 infection.

Reporting of confirmed pandemic influenza A virus (pH1N1) 2009 infection was mandatory among health care workers in Hong Kong. Among 1158 confirmed infections, there was no significant difference in incidence among clinical versus nonclinical staff (relative risk, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.

Effective personal protective clothing for health care workers attending patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Background: Optimal usability is crucial in providing protection for health care workers who are exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome day and night while taking care of patients with the virus. No research study has yet tested the usability of personal protective clothing (PPC).

Method: The study was carried out in 3 stages.