Abstract
Proper hand hygiene has been described as an important barrier in the defense against hospital
acquired infections, along with the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the bacteria that cause
these infections. Research has shown that although healthcare workers understand the principles
and importance of hand hygiene, they do not always practice proper hand hygiene.
The aim of this pre-post intervention study was to monitor the changes in the bacterial population
on the hands of chiropractic students at a Chiropractic Clinic pre and post a hand hygiene
education intervention. Sixty participants completed the World Health Organization hand hygiene
survey to determine their hand hygiene knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), and had their
hands sampled to quantify the bacterial population present. The bacterial population was
quantified using flow cytometry and reported as total, live and dead bacteria present...