An evaluation of hand hygiene in an intensive care unit: are visitors a potential vector for pathogens?
Birnbach DJ, Rosen LF, Fitzpatrick M, et al. An evaluation of hand hygiene in an intensive care unit: Are visitors a potential vector for pathogens? J Infect Public Health. 2015;8(6):570-4. doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2015.04.027.
Major efforts have focused on improving hospital employee hand hygiene as a way to decrease the spread of disease to hospitalized patients. This observational study found more than 60% of visitors to an intensive care unit did not disinfect their hands prior to entering a patient's room, with some carrying bacteria that could be dangerous for critically ill patients.