Bare below the elbows

Nosocomial infections remain an important issue for patient safety concerns. Since hospital infections are mainly connected with healthcare professionals' routines, an increase in hand hygiene effectiveness through compliance with the "bare below the elbow" (BBE) concept could reduce the number of nosocomial infections. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate hand hygiene and to investigate healthcare professionals' compliance with the BBE concept. We performed our study on a group of 7544 hospital professionals involved in patient care...

BACKGROUND: A cough is known to transmit an aerosol cloud up to 2 m. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), other UK government agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO) advised people to cough into their elbows. It was thought that this would reduce viral spread and protect the public. However, there is limited peer reviewed evidence to support this. OBJECTIVES: To determine if cough related interventions reduce environmental contamination, protecting members of the public from infection...

Hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent nosocomial infections. Nevertheless, the hands of healthcare professionals are still the primary route of transmission of pathogens responsible for such infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate hand disinfection techniques and investigate the risk factors that may explain the improper hand disinfection techniques among healthcare workers. We selected 7544 hospital workers directly involved in patient care. We recorded data based on the questionnaires, demographic data, and the preparation of hands for disinfection, including risk factors...

BACKGROUND: Vascular complications of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are rare and usually occur at the access site below the elbow. Life-threatening vascular complications during transradial PCI therapy, such as vessel perforation and dissection in the brachiocephalic, subclavian, internal mammary, and thyrocervical arteries, are rarely reported. Subclavian artery bleeding is a potentially serious complication of vascular interventional procedures leading to tracheal obstruction, hemothorax, respiratory failure, hemorrhagic shock, and death if not diagnosed early and treated promptly...

OBJECTIVE: To identify barriers to, describe the development of and evaluate the implementation of a behavioural theory informed strategy to improve staff personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance during COVID-19 in a regional Australian Emergency Department. METHODS: Barriers to PPE use were identified through staff consultation then categorised using the Theoretical Domains Framework. The Behaviour Change Wheel was used to develop a strategy to address the barriers to PPE compliance...

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are an important contributor to patient morbidity and mortality. Healthcare workers (HCWs) hands are the chief mode of transmission of HCAIs. The emergency centre (EC) is frequently the first point of contact for patients within the health care system. The aim of this study is to determine compliance with hygiene practices among healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital EC. Methods: Hygiene practices of staff were observed over a six-week period...

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU)-related healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are two to three times higher in lower-income countries than in higher-income ones. Hand cleansing and other hygiene measures have been documented as one of the most effective measures in combating the transmission of HCAIs. There is a paucity of data pertaining to hygiene practices in the ICU in developing countries. OBJECTIVES: To determine compliance with hygiene practices among healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital ICU...

Introduction A satisfactory light source is of paramount importance during an oral head and neck examination. It has become common practice for the light source on a smartphone to be used during inpatient intra-oral examination. We determined if patients identified the use of a smartphone as a light source, during head and neck examinations, as unprofessional.Methods and materials A clinical photograph illustrating professional errors was presented to patients as a pilot survey (n = 10); a smartphone camera flash being used as a light source was featured...

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to explore the impact of workplace dress code policies and guidance that may influence inclusivity and opportunities in the workplace. DESIGN: Quantitative, self-completion cross-sectional survey. SETTING: British Islamic Medical Association conference. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-four female medical healthcare professionals with a range of ethnicities and wide geographical coverage...

We investigated the compliance of health care personnel with a voluntary, institution-wide bare below the elbows (BBE) approach to inpatient care at an academic medical center. BBE compliance increased significantly across all provider types over a 2-year period. The overall compliance with BBE by health care personnel nearly doubled from 2016-2017, increasing significantly from 40% to 84%.

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of discontinuing contact precautions among patients infected or colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) on rates of healthcare-associated infection (HAI). DESIGN: Single-center, quasi-experimental study conducted between 2011 and 2016.METHODSWe employed an interrupted time series design to evaluate the impact of 7 horizontal infection prevention interventions across intensive care units (ICUs) and hospital wards at an 865-bed urban, academic medical center...

BACKGROUND The VU University Medical Center, a tertiary-care hospital in the Netherlands, has adopted a dress code based on national guidelines. It includes uniforms provided by the hospital and a 'bare-below-the-elbow' policy for all healthcare workers (HCWs) in direct patient care. Because compliance was poor, we sought to improve adherence by interventions targeted at the main causes of noncompliance. OBJECTIVE To measure compliance with the dress code, to assess causes of noncompliance and to assess whether a behavioral approach (combing a nominal group technique with participatory action) is effective in improving compliance METHODS Between March 2014 and June 2016, a total of 1,920 HCWs were observed in hospital hallways for adherence to the policy, at baseline, and at follow-up measurements...

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BACKGROUND: The hands of medical stuff are the most important vectors for the transmission of pathogens in the hospital. Furthermore a "bare below the elbows dress code" has been introduced in Great Britain. OBJECTIVES: Aim of this study was to investigate whether workwear contamination of the medical stuff by pathogens is similar to the contamination of their hands and whether wearing workwear is associated with increased transmission risk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total 54 swabs were collected from nursing stuff, medical doctors, patients and hospital work material...

BACKGROUND: Attempts to increase compliance with infection control practices are complex and are - in part - based on attempts to change behaviour. In particular, the behaviour of significant peers (role models) has been shown to be a strong motivator. While role models within the working environment are obviously the most important, some experts suggest that media and public display cannot be ignored. The aim of this present study was to examine the display of technique recommended by current infection control guidelines including the "bare below the elbow" principle, which is considered a basic requirement for good infection control in many countries, in sets of professional stock photos...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: A doctor's competence and professionalism is often judged on the basis of attire. Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) is a leading Irish hospital in the implementation of Bare Below the Elbows (BBTE) policy, however surgical attire is not standardised and there is great variability in attire worn on wards. We aimed to evaluate patients attitude towards surgeons attire in OLOL. METHODS: A prospective survey of adult surgical in-patients was conducted from October 2013 to February 2014...

The introduction of 'bare below the elbows' policies to facilitate handwashing led to the disappearance of the white coat from medical and surgical wards. While rates of key healthcare acquired infections in hospitals, e.g. Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, have fallen, argument continues around the contribution of hand hygiene and dress codes to these changes. Conversely, the number of complaints against clinicians continues to rise, and respect for medical staff is falling...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.