What first prompted health care provider to implement hand antsepsis practice?

Semmelweis's Discovery

The practice of hand antisepsis in healthcare settings can be traced back to the pioneering work of Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician who made significant contributions to the field of obstetrics in the mid-19th century. Before Semmelweis's groundbreaking discoveries, puerperal fever, also known as childbed fever, was a leading cause of death among women who had recently given birth.

In the 1840s, Semmelweis worked at the Vienna General Hospital's maternity clinic, where he observed a startling difference in the mortality rates between two obstetrics wards. In one ward, where medical students conducted autopsies and then delivered babies without washing their hands, the mortality rate from puerperal fever was alarmingly high, while in the other ward, where midwives attended to women in labor, the mortality rate was significantly lower.

Intrigued by this disparity, Semmelweis launched a comprehensive investigation into the causes of puerperal fever. Through careful observation and experimentation, he hypothesized that a substance carried from cadavers to maternity patients via the hands of medical students was responsible for the infection. He implemented a strict handwashing protocol using chlorinated lime before any examination or procedure in the maternity ward.

The results of Semmelweis's intervention were remarkable. The mortality rate in the maternity clinic reduced drastically from 18% to 1%, saving countless lives. Despite the compelling evidence and his passionate advocacy, it took many years for his ideas about hand hygiene and antisepsis to gain widespread acceptance in the medical community. Today, hand hygiene practices as essential components of infection prevention in healthcare settings.