Behaviours monitoring and infection control in neonatal intensive care unit: how to improve ourselves?

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare-associated infections are important events in neonatal intensive care unit. Hand hygiene is considered one of the most important procedures to control these complications. METHODS: Healthcare workers procedures for patient’s approaching were directly monitored from February to April 2018 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy. Number and type of total contacts with patients or “patient unit” (e.g.: ventilator, monitor, isolette) were recorded as well as errors related to lack of hand hygiene after and before performing procedures. RESULTS: A total of 1,040 actions were observed on patient or patient unit: 560 actions by nursing staff, 240 by residents and 240 by consultants. The most common misbehaviour was the “double touch” in nursing staff (30%), “glasses, hair or nose” in residents (35%), and “double touch” and “glasses hair or nose” in consultants (25% and 23% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Extemporaneous contact is the more frequent potential “high risk” moment for transmission of healthcare associated infections in NICU.