Declared practices on hand hygiene and glove use among healthcare personnel in a Regional Hospital in Paraguay

In the context of preventing healthcare-associated infections, hand hygiene and the appropriate use of gloves are essential practices for reducing the risk of cross-transmission in the hospital setting. This study identified significant gaps in reported hand hygiene practices and the rational use of gloves among healthcare workers at the Pilar Regional Hospital during 2024. Hand hygiene was reported as insufficient during the evaluated care procedures and during transitions between patients, suggesting critical opportunities for improvement in adherence to standard precautions. Likewise, the pattern of glove use showed inconsistencies: underutilization occurred in procedures with potential exposure to blood or body fluids, while overutilization was observed in low-risk activities—a situation that may compromise patient safety and the efficient use of supplies. These findings support the need to strengthen multimodal institutional strategies that integrate targeted training, supervision, and audits with feedback, emphasizing that gloves do not replace hand hygiene. Given that this study relies on self-reporting and convenience sampling, it is recommended to supplement these methods with direct observation to guide more precise interventions.