Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections represent a global public health challenge and are associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is a neglected area in healthcare facilities across Pakistan. The objective of our study was to elucidate the current state of infection prevention and control practices in public sector hospitals of Islamabad to underscore potential areas for improvement. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November and December 2019 at five public sector hospitals of Islamabad. The World Health Organization's Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF) was used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of hospitals regarding infection prevention and control. Adapted tools derived from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Infection Prevention Society were used for detailed assessment of various departments. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016. In all five hospitals, the total IPCAF score was less than 200 denoting that infection prevention and control implementation is deficient and significant improvement is needed. The median IPCAF score was 117.5 with an interquartile range of 53.75. With the exception of central sterile services unit at one hospital, departments at all hospitals failed to meet even 50% of required IPC standards. Significant change is needed to improve the existent situation of infection prevention and control in public sector hospitals of Islamabad. This would involve establishment of functional programs, development and implementation of infection prevention and control guidelines and provision of adequate supplies.
Highlights
Healthcare-associated infections represent a global public health challenge and are associated with significant mortality and morbidity
The results clearly indicate the stark difference in infection prevention and control practices between developed and developing countries like Pakistan
In view of the existent grave scenario of infection prevention and control at public sector hospitals of Islamabad, substantial work is needed for improvement to meet international Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards
Summary
Healthcare-associated infections represent a global public health challenge and are associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The objective of our study was to elucidate the current state of infection prevention and control practices in public sector hospitals of Islamabad to underscore potential areas for improvement. Conclusions: Significant change is needed to improve the existent situation of infection prevention and control in public sector hospitals of Islamabad. This would involve establishment of functional programs, development and implementation of infection prevention and control guidelines and provision of adequate supplies. The objective of our study was to illustrate the current state of application of key IPC aspects using the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF) as delineated by the WHO core components in public hospitals across Islamabad. We aimed to survey different departments at hospitals to uncover existent IPC practices and highlight potential areas for improvement
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