Hand Hygiene Opportunities in Pediatric Extended Care Facilities 123

IntroductionIntroduction: Children in extended care facilities (ECFs) are at risk of healthcare-associated infections, but little hand hygiene (HH) research has been conducted in this unique setting.MethodsEight children across four pediatric ECFs were observed for a cumulative 128 hours, and all care giver HH opportunities were characterized by the World Health Organization's ‘5 Moments for HH’. Data were analyzed using Pearson's χ2 test.ResultsObservers documented 865 HH opportunities. Overall HH adherence was 43% and was significantly higher among clinical care givers than among non-clinical care givers (61% and 14%, respectively, (p < .01).ConclusionsHand hygiene adherence was low, suggesting multiple opportunities for transmission of infectious agents.