from Roth et al. 2018
published in Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 39(3): 359-60

Defect rates in touchless versus mechanical had hygiene dispensers

Touchless hand hygiene dispensers show a higher defect rate than mechanical hand hygiene dispensers

In this study the defect rates in touchless and mechanical hand hygiene dispensers was investigated in the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. The used touchless (367$ per device) and mechanical dispensers (254 $ per device) were from a single manufacturer and equipped with Sterillium® classic pure. Touchless dispensers (12/44) showed a cumulative defect rate of 27% over a median of 422 days or 6296 hand hygiene events. Mechanical dispensers (0/39) did not fail. Defects in touchless hand hygiene dispensers were mostly caused by mechanical pump malfunctions.