OBJECTIVES : The aim of our study was to assess the knowledge about hand hygiene among workers of a city hospital using a questionnaire.

METHODS : A quantitative, cross-sectional study was carried out among hospital workforce with non-probability sampling method (n=155) between April-August 2018. WHO’s „Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire for Health-Care Workers” was validated and used for data collecting, extended with socio-demographic factors as well. Applied statistical methods: descriptive statistics, χ²-test (p<0.05). MS Excel and SPSS were used for calculating results.

RESULTS : Mean age is 45.33 years (SD: 10.59), years worked in health is 21.45 on average (SD: 11.96). According to occupation, 27.7% of the sample are physicians, 39.4% are nurses and 32.9% are other workers. Knowledge about pathogens’ spreading path is significantly different between physicians (72.1%) and other workers (33.3%) (p<0.001). There is also significant difference in knowledge about the hand sanitizer’s exposure time between those who work in an operating room (91.3%) and those who work in departments (64.8%) (p=0.037). From the two types of disinfection (washing, alcoholic rub), respondents know the way of hand disinfection after exposition to blood the best (76.8%), while the method of disinfection after touching a patient’s environment the least (31%).

CONCLUSIONS : Knowledge about hand hygiene varies between workers, depending on their occupation and their place of work. Our study shows those areas, where knowledge about hand hygiene must be advanced.