Relationship between hospital ward design and healthcare-associated infection rates: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Stiller, Andrea; Salm, Florian; Bischoff, Peter; Gastmeier, Petra

Thomas et al. investigated the average daily volume use of antiseptic hand rub during three observation periods [15] . They started with a 95-day control period in a 16-bed intensive care unit with eight dispensers, which were located inside the patient rooms as well as outside the patient rooms, i.e., along the floors throughout the ward. During the control period, investigators determined an average daily product use of 188.8 g. Thereafter, a 93-day experimental period was conducted in a newly constructed surgical intensive care unit, in which each bed was equipped with one dispenser. The dispensers were installed on a trapeze-bar apparatus connected directly to the patients' beds. In this period an average daily use of 294.1 g was measured, which reveals statistical significance in comparison with the control period (p < 0.01). In a second experimental period, which continued for 61 days, 36 dispensers were provided in the same locations as during the control period. During this experimental period, an average daily product use of 214.8 g was determined without any statistically significant difference in comparison to the control period (p = 0.2).