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Review
. 2006 Nov;11(11):1749-58.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2006.01734.x.

Effectiveness of handwashing in preventing SARS: a review

Isaac Chun-Hai Fung  1 , Sandy Cairncross
Affiliations
Review

Effectiveness of handwashing in preventing SARS: a review

Isaac Chun-Hai Fung et al. Trop Med Int Health. 2006 Nov.

Abstract
in English, French, Spanish

This review examines the literature, including literature in Chinese, on the effectiveness of handwashing as an intervention against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) transmission. Nine of 10 epidemiological studies reviewed showed that handwashing was protective against SARS when comparing infected cases and non-infected controls in univariate analysis, but only in three studies was this result statistically significant in multivariate analysis. There is reason to believe that this is because most of the studies were too small. The evidence for the effectiveness of handwashing as a measure against SARS transmission in health care and community settings is suggestive, but not conclusive.

Cette revue a analysé des articles chinois sur l'efficacité du lavage des mains comme intervention contre la transmission du syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère (SRAS). 9 sur 10 études épidémiologiques analysées rapportent que le lavage des mains est protecteur contre le SRAS dans la comparaison de cas infectés à des contrôles sains dans des analyses univariées. Mais, seules 3 études avaient des résultats statistiquement significatifs dans une analyse multivariée. Cela pourrait être due au faible nombre d’échantillons dans la plupart des études. L’évidence de l'efficacité du lavage des mains contre la transmission du SRAS dans les services de soins de santé et dans la communauté est suggestive mais non conclusive.

Se ha revisado la literatura disponible, incluida la China, sobre la efectividad del lavado de manos como una intervención contra la transmisión del SARS. Nueve de diez estudios epidemiológicos revisados demostraban que el lavado de manos era protector frente al SARS cuando se comparaban mediante un análisis univariado los casos infectados y los controles no infectados, pero solo en tres de estos estudios era el resultado estadísticamente significativo en un análisis multivariado. Existen razones para creer que esto se debe a que la mayoría de los estudios eran demasiado pequeños. La evidencia de la efectividad del lavado de manos como una medida frente a la transmisión del SARS en la atención sanitaria y la comunidad es sugerente, más no concluyente.

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