Knowledge and Practice of Health Care Professionals Regarding the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections at Tertiary Hospitals in Rwanda

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevention of surgical site infections heavily relies on healthcare professionalswho adhere to appropriate use of guidelines. However, there is limited evidence ontheir knowledge and practices regarding surgical site infections prevention in Rwanda.Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practice of health careprofessionals regarding the prevention of surgical site infections at tertiary hospitalsin Rwanda.MethodologyA cross-sectional study involving 213 healthcare professionals was conducted toassess the practice and knowledge of surgical site infection preventions. Univariateand multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.ResultsThis study indicated that 53.1% of healthcare professionals had good knowledgeregarding surgical site infections prevention, while 57% reported good practices.Nurses were significantly more likely to have good practices, with a 4.7 times higherlikelihood (AOR=4.66, 95% CI=1.23-17.77) than other healthcare professionals.Healthcare professionals who received in-service training on infection preventionwere more likely to demonstrate good practices compared to those who are not trained(AOR=2.99, 95% CI=1.29-6.92).ConclusionThe current study revealed that 43% of study participants reported poor surgicalsite infections prevention practices. Therefore, healthcare professionals' knowledgeon surgical site infections prevention needs upgrading, and in-service training oninfection prevention necessary.Rwanda J Med Health Sci. 2024; 7(1):22-35