Compliance with handwashing at two intensive care units in São Paulo

Handwashing compliance was compared at two medical- surgical intensive care units (ICUs) of a teaching and a non-teaching hospital. The mean compliance was 22.2 percent and 42.6 percent, respectively. Respiratory therapists at the non-teaching hospital had the best handwashing compliance (52.6 percent). Nursing assistants at the teaching hospital had the worst compliance (11.5 percent). Nursing assistant was the only health-care worker category with a significant difference between the two ICUs (odds ratio = 6.0; 95 percent confidence interval = 3.83-9.43; p< 0.001).