Impact of the use of rings and nail polish on hand hygiene quality in healthcare workers

Background: Health-care-associated infections are a frequent problem in hospital environments. Hand hygiene is the most effective measure to prevent outbreaks. The use of certain accessories could decrease its effectiveness, facilitating horizontal transmission of pathogens. Objective: Analyze the evidence that assess the impact of the use of rings and nail polish on hand hygiene quality in healthcare workers. Methods: Non-systematic search in PUBMED/MEDLINE database (1978-2018) of studies in which the quality of hand hygiene or surgical washing is measured, using quantitative cultures or fluorescent stains. Results: Wearing rings: 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven were carried out in general wards. In all of them the use of rings was associated with lower quality of hand hygiene (the majority of low quality). Contrarily, in 3 of 4 primary studies carried out in the operating rooms (of low quality), their use did not affect the quality of surgical washing. Similarly, two systematic reviews obtained similar conclusions. Nail polish: 7 of 54 studies met the inclusion criteria. In four of them there were discordant results (the majority of low quality). One RCT showed a reduction in the quality of surgical washing only when the nail polish was damaged. Gel nail polish was associated with lower quality in two experimental studies. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to associate the use of these accessories with the reduction in the quality of hand hygiene. Its safety was not proven neither. Based on the available evidence (the majority of low quality), a negative impact of the use of rings in clinical units and also of damaged nail polish in operating rooms was observed. Better quality studies are required to address these relevant issues.