Knowledge Of Infection Control Research Articles

Evaluation of an Infection Control Measures Protocol Application by Nurses on Patients' Safety at Burn Units

<i>Introduction:</i> Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) has become a major component of the national and international movement to enhance patient safety. Infection is the most common cause of death among burn patients following the burn injury itself. Nurses are at the center of patient care and are the healthcare professionals most likely to intercept errors and prevent harm to patients. <i>The aim</i> of this study was to improve nurses' performance in Burn Units regarding infection control measures with subsequent enhancement of the patients' safety. <i>Subjects and methods:</i> The data were collected using three tools: a self-administered questionnaire, an observation checklist, and a bacteriological culture results form. <i>The results</i> of this study indicated that the percentage of nurses having satisfactory knowledge increased from a pre-intervention level of 17.6%, to a post intervention level of 67.6%. This improvement was statistically significant (p<0.001); as well the percentage of nurses having adequate practice rose from a pre-intervention level of 0.0%, to a post intervention level of 85.3%, with statistically significant difference (p<0.001). There were no any statistically significant correlations between nurses’ knowledge and practice scores before and after the intervention. Moreover, the number of nurses with negative hands' culture results increased from 3(8.8%) to 7(20.6%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The intervention program was identified as the main positive predictor of the change in nurses’ knowledge and practice scores. <i>In conclusion</i>, nurses' knowledge of infection control in burn units and their related practice are very deficient; the educational intervention is successful in improving them. The intervention is also successful in decreasing the Bacillus spp. in nurses’ culture samples. The study recommended different strategies to decrease rates of infection as well as improve patient safety.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Compliance of Healthcare-associated Infection Control among Nurses in the Western Development Region, Nepal

Background: Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) affects the morbidity and mortality of inpatients worldwide. Nepal is a developing country in which HAIs pose a major problem in terms of patient safety. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude toward HAIs and compliance for infection control among nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire including general characteristics, and knowledge of, attitude toward, and compliance with HAI control practices, on a sample of 259 nurses from 11 hospitals in 3 cities in Nepal, from July 17 to August 5, 2014. Results: The average score on knowledge of HAI was 6.56, on a 13-point scale. In total, 59 nurses had undergone HAI control training and 211 nurses reported that they were governed by some guidelines, but there were no significant differences. The overall level of compliance with HAI control guidelines was 79.2 points based on a 100-point scale, which did not differ in terms of age, exposure to infection control training, and the presence of any guidelines. Conclusion: The level of knowledge of HAI control among nurses was very low and a majority had never undergone any HAI control training. Evidently, there is an urgent need to provide HAI control training to nurses, and to develop infrastructure to provide training for them.

Perceptions of dental outpatients toward cross-infection control measures in Jabalpur city

Introduction: Infection control practices are crucial and important elements in clinical dentistry as there is an enormous increase in the prevalence of infectious diseases among dental patients. This necessitates the application of recommended procedures for infection control in the dental schools and clinics. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess patients' perception toward the use of protective barriers (such as gloves, face masks, and eye goggles) by working dentists in a private dental teaching school in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (India). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study of a convenient sample of patients visiting the dental school of RDU was conducted in 2015. A structured, close-ended, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 700 patients and a response rate of 89% was obtained. The questionnaire consisted of a series of questions related to awareness, knowledge, attitude, and perception of patients toward infection control measures. Data analysis included frequency distribution tables. Results: Of 664 patients (298 males and 366 females), 97.7%, 93.5%, and 43.6% of the patients believed that dentist should wear gloves, face masks, and eye goggles, respectively, when treating patients. The majority of them (95.3%) refused to undergo treatment if the dentist is not wearing gloves and face masks. More than two-thirds (73.3%) denied receiving treatment from a dentist, who is not immunized against hepatitis B. Nearly 79.2% of patients refused to attend school if they knew that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients treated there. The majority of patients (92.7%, 72.3%, and 23.1%) believed that gloves, facemasks, and eye goggles protect both dentist and patient, respectively. Only 44.9% said that autoclave is the best method of sterilization. A significantly higher knowledge of infection control was observed among the previous dental visitors compared to the first-time visitors ( P Conclusions: Patients revealed adequate knowledge toward the use of gloves, face masks, and eye goggles by a dentist. However, their knowledge regarding the use of autoclave was poor. This documentation will serve in planning more effective interventions to enhance public awareness about infection control in dentistry in Jabalpur city, India.

Infection control knowledge, beliefs and behaviours amongst cystic fibrosis patients with epidemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

BackgroundEpidemic P. aeruginosa (ePA) infections are common in cystic fibrosis (CF) and have been associated with accelerated clinical decline. Factors associated with ePA are unclear, and evidence based infection control interventions are lacking.MethodsWe prospectively collect all bacterial pathogens from adult CF patients. We performed PA strain typing on retrospectively collected enrolment samples and recent isolates to identify patients infected with ePA. All patients attending our clinic were approached to complete a survey on infection control knowledge, beliefs and exposures. We analyzed responses of those with ePA relative to the entire cohort without ePA as well as those infected with unique strains of P. aeruginosa to assess for risk factors for ePA and differences in infection control knowledge, beliefs or behaviours.ResultsOf 144 participants, 30 patients had ePA (two Liverpool epidemic strain, 28 Prairie epidemic strain), 83 % of which had established infection prior to transition to the adult clinic. Risk of concomitant infecting pathogens was no different between groups although, Staphylococcus aureus and non-tuberculous mycobacteria were less common in those with ePA. Patients with ePA were more likely to have attended CF-camp and have a history of CF fundraising. Patients with ePA did not differ with respect to beliefs regarding pathogens or transmission risk, except they believed indirect contact posed little risk. Furthermore, patients with ePA were more likely to continue to associate with others with CF despite extensive counselling. Use of peer-peer online networking was minimal in both groups.ConclusionInfections with ePA are closely linked to past exposures, now routinely discouraged. As socialization is the greatest risk factor for ePA, infection control strategies for ePA must focus on discouraging face-to-face interactions amongst CF patients. As peer support remains a desire amongst patients, investment in technologies and strategies that enable indirect communication and support are required.

Knowledge and practice of infection control – in the NDM1 era

India has reported one of the highest rates gram negative resistance in the world. Knowledge on infection control and the translation of this into practice is of paramount importance for the performance of health care institutions.

64 Infection control (IC) knowledge, beliefs and behaviours (KBB) amongst those with epidemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ePA)

Objective ePA strains are common in CF, and are associated with worse outcomes. Factors associated with ePA are unclear, and evidence based IC is lacking. Methods Patients attending the Calgary Adult CF clinic completed a survey on IC KBB using a 7-point Likert scale. Chronic infection (CI) was defined using the Leeds criteria. For patients who had received lung transplantation (LTx), pre-LTx cultures were used to determine CI. PA strain typing was performed using PFGE. ePA strains were defined as strains shared by ≥3 individuals or established strains including: LES (Liverpool Epidemic Strain) and PES (Prairie Epidemic Strain). Results 144 of 169 patients (85%) participated. Median age was 30.3 years (45% males), and 18% were post LTx. CI was observed with PA 69%, MSSA 47%, MRSA 6%, NTM 10%, Bcc 3%. 30 patients with ePA were identified (28 PES, 2 LES). Those with ePA were no more likely to have other co-infections, but were less likely to have MSSA (OR 0.29). Patients with ePA did not differ with respect to beliefs regarding transmission potential of specific pathogens, circumstances that may lead to transmission or strategies to avoid infection. However, patients with ePA were more likely to associate with others outside of (p = 0.03) and at clinic (p = 0.05). Patients with ePA were more likely to have attended a CF camp (OR 8.32), and have a personal history of past (but not current) involvement with fundraising (OR 1.83). Conclusion Infections with ePA are closely linked to past behaviours and exposures, now routinely discouraged. In contrast, current beliefs and practices with the exception of direct patient–patient contact do not associate with risk of ePA.

Nursing students' knowledge and practices of standard precautions: A Jordanian web-based survey

The main purpose of this web-based survey was to evaluate Jordanian nursing students' knowledge and practice of standard precautions. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used. Six public and four private Jordanian universities were invited to participate in the study. Approximately, seventeen hundred nursing students in the participating universities were invited via the students' portal on the university electronic system. For schools without an electronic system, students received invitations sent to their personal commercial email. The final sample size was 594 students; 65.3% were female with mean age of 21.2 years (SD=2.6). The majority of the sample was 3rd year students (42.8%) who had no previous experience working as nurses (66.8%). The mean total knowledge score was 13.8 (SD=3.3) out of 18. On average, 79.9% of the knowledge questions were answered correctly. The mean total practice score was 67.4 (SD=9.9) out of 80. There was no significant statistical relationship between students' total knowledge and total practice scores (r=0.09, p=0.032). Jordanian nursing educators are challenged to introduce different teaching modalities to effectively translate theoretical infection control knowledge into safe practices.

A study on the knowledge, attitude and practice of hospital infection control and prevention among all cadres of health care workers in a level 1 trauma centre

A study on the knowledge, attitude and practice of hospital infection control and prevention among all cadres of health care workers in a level 1 trauma centre

Knowledge, attitudes and barriers of infection control among healthcare workers in rural Uganda

Program/Project Purpose: The Global Health program at Ben Gurion University (BGU) provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that combines theory and practical work that actually demonstrate aspects of global health and social justice. An intense, one-month, summer program was first launched last summer based on a platform of a previous full semester course. The program aims to introduce students with key concepts and theories of public health ethics, globalization and their interactions. Structure/Method/Design: Located in the Negev desert, BGU is involved in the development of Israel’s southern periphery, and its health faculty is engaged in researching the impact of geopolitics on access to health services and social determinants of health. Israel holds a unique position on the perspective of global health: It stands at the forefront of both bioscience and social medicine, maintaining a developed medical infrastructure that provides relatively generous healthcare coverage to its citizens. Nevertheless, Israel’s unique demographic and social composition introduces challenges of health disparities and social justice. These characteristics present a “living” laboratory opportunity for the study of health challenges in globalized societies. The way we found most efficient to fulfil the course aims, was the integration of a practicum into the more traditional theoretical part, where students can work with NGOs that have strong relation to questions of social justice. Outcomes & Evaluation: Following this principle teaching methods integrate frontal teaching, field trips and a practicum: In the first part student delve into the study of global health from the perspectives of public health as well as from the viewpoint of globalization theories; in the second part of the program specific topics and case studies of global health are tackled. Different ways in which global processes impact the distribution of health resources, pose new bioethical quandaries and alters our understanding of health are discussed. Integrated into those discussions are considerations of ethical, social, political and historical concerns related to global health. Field trips to diverse sites are also conducted for direct exposure to those topics, among them are immigration, Eco-health and health diplomacy. In the final part of the program, students are placed in a one-week practicum to have on-the-ground experience in issues facing the global health workforce. Evaluation by an external reviewer from BGU sociology of health department has been carried to capture changes in knowledge and strength and weaknesses of the program. Going Forward: This year graduate students from Israel, U.S., India and China participated with a variety of backgrounds: MDs, public health graduates-students, social workers and psychologists went through the program. In the coming years we aim to broaden the scope in terms of having more disciplines and countries involved. Funding: Israeli Council for Higher Education. Abstract #: 01ETC100

Putting it into practice: Infection control professionals' perspectives on early career nursing graduates' microbiology and infection control knowledge and practice.

The microbiology component of Australian undergraduate nursing programmes varies considerably. Any actual or potential impact of this variation on infection control practice, as a nursing graduate, is relatively unknown. The aim of this study was to explore infection control professionals' perceptions of the importance of microbiology and infection control training in undergraduate nursing curricula and the perceived retention of that knowledge and its transferability to practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight infection control professionals from a range of hospital settings in Australia. Four main themes emerged: Theory versus practice, importance of role modelling, disjunction between university curricula and 'the real world,' and learning in context. As the underpinning element of infection control practice, the role of microbiology education and training in nursing education will benefit from review. Further discussions about the nature and timing of theoretical microbiology content and assessment of undergraduate students' microbiology knowledge to ensure retention and appropriate application of that knowledge in practice are urgently needed.

Table of Contents

Healthcare Infection is published by CSIRO PUBLISHING on behalf of the Australian Infection Control Association (AICA). The journal provides a peer-reviewed medium to expand infection control knowledge, in order to prevent infection-related illness. The journal’s readership of infection control professionals, spanning physicians, nurses and epidemiologists, gain up-to-date and peer-reviewed articles covering clinical topics and original research.

Peer reviewers 2014

Healthcare Infection is published by CSIRO PUBLISHING on behalf of the Australian Infection Control Association (AICA). The journal provides a peer-reviewed medium to expand infection control knowledge, in order to prevent infection-related illness. The journal’s readership of infection control professionals, spanning physicians, nurses and epidemiologists, gain up-to-date and peer-reviewed articles covering clinical topics and original research.

Comparative study and determinants of infection control practices of mothers of under- five children in selected health care institutions in Ibadan.

Improving family and community health practices have been identified as childhood mortality reducing strategies. This cross sectional study was conducted among mothers of under-five children attending three selected Health Centers (HCs) in Ibadan. Convenient sampling method was used to select 220 mothers who provided information by means of a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was by descriptive statistics of frequency tables, ANOVA to compare mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores in the three HCs and Spearman rho’s correlation for test of relationship between variables. The mean +SD age of respondents was 29.5 + 5.7 years, 95.5% were married and most of the participants were traders. The major source of information was health talks at immunization clinics (69.1%). Respiratory tract infection was the most listed (65.9%) common childhood disease. The overall mean percent - score + (SD) for knowledge, attitude and practice of infection control were 55.9 + 15.0, 42.4 + 11.8 and 31.1 + 15.7 respectively. Mean knowledge score of 63.2 + 17.0 by participants at the university HC was significantly higher than that of participants in the other two HCs, F = 9.32, p = 0.00. Correlation showed significant relationship between knowledge and attitude p= 0.000, knowledge and practice p=0.000 as well as attitude and practice p=0.006. Only eight (3.6%) would wash their hands always after attending to the need of a sick child though 189 (85.9%) acknowledged hand washing as a strategy for infection control. Findings indicate the need to explore strategies to improve attitude and practice of mothers.

Putting it into practice: Infection control professionals’ perspectives on early career nursing graduates’ microbiology and infection control knowledge and practice

Background: The microbiology component of Australian undergraduate nursing programmes varies considerably. Any actual or potential impact of this variation on infection control practice, as a nursing graduate, is relatively unknown. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore infection control professionals’ perceptions of the importance of microbiology and infection control training in undergraduate nursing curricula and the perceived retention of that knowledge and its transferability to practice. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight infection control professionals from a range of hospital settings in Australia. Findings: Four main themes emerged: Theory versus practice, importance of role modelling, disjunction between university curricula and ‘the real world,’ and learning in context. Conclusion: As the underpinning element of infection control practice, the role of microbiology education and training in nursing education will benefit from review. Further discussions about the nature and timing of theoretical microbiology content and assessment of undergraduate students’ microbiology knowledge to ensure retention and appropriate application of that knowledge in practice are urgently needed.

임상간호사의 의료 관련감염 관리실천 영향요인

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing on practice of healthcare-associatedinfection control among clinical nurses. Methods: The subject of this study were 118 nurses who worked in medical·surgical ward and ICU of 2 general hospital in Gwangju city. Data were collected with a questionnaire. Datawere analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearson correlation and stepwisemultiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 12.0. Results: The major findings of this study were as follow: Therewere significant positive correlation between knowledge, recognition, empowerment and practice of healthcare-associated infection control. The significant factors influencing practice of healthcare-associated infectioncontrol were recognition and empowerment, which explained 68.8% of the practice of healthcare-associated infectioncontrol. Conclusion: These results indicate that recognition on healthcare-associated infection control andempowerment among clinical nurses should be reinforcement via consistent education, administrative and organizationalsupport at the level of hospital.

Knowledge and practice of tuberculosis infection control among health professionals in Northwest Ethiopia; 2011.

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, making the risk of infection transmission high in these countries. Despite high prevalence of TB and expected high probability of nosocomial transmission in Ethiopia, a rapid assessment done in 2008 revealed that most health facilities in Ethiopia do not use tuberculosis infection control (TBIC) practices. Patients and providers are therefore at risk of exposure to TB, especially at high case load facilities. The purpose of this study was to assess TBIC knowledge and practices among health professionals working in hospitals in the Amhara region of Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based hybrid study was implemented form August 2010 to January 2011. The subjects were health professionals who were proportionally selected from each hospital. Subjects self-administered a questionnaire that contained sections on socio-demographics and on TBIC knowledge and practice. Those answering ≥60% of knowledge questions correctly and ≥50% of practice questions correctly were considered to have good knowledge and practice, respectively.ResultsA total of 313 healthcare professionals were enrolled from four healthcare facilities. The response rate was 96%. Only 18.8% received in-service training. Among those who were trained, 74.4%, 95% CI (69.6, 79.3%) were found to have good knowledge and 63.2%, 95% CI (57.9, 68.6%) good practice on TBIC. Training was found to be a predictor of TBIC knowledge, AOR* 3.386 and 95% CI (1.377, 8.330) while knowledge of TBIC was a strong predictor of good TBIC practice, AOR* 10.667 and 95% CI (5.769, 19.721).ConclusionsThough the majority of the respondents had good TBIC knowledge and practice, a considerable proportion of healthcare professionals were not trained on TBIC. Respondents trained on TBIC were found to be more knowledgeable than those not trained. Similarly, respondents with good TBIC knowledge were 10 times more likely to have good TBIC practice compared to those with poor TBIC knowledge. Training was not found to have an effect on TBIC practice.*Adjusted Odds Ratio.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-014-0593-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Update your team's infection control knowledge

Update your team's infection control knowledge

Factors influencing the self-perceived practice levels of professional standard competency among infection control nurses in Korea

This study investigated the self-perceived infection control (IC) knowledge and practice levels of professional standards competency (PSC) among Korean infection control nurses (ICNs) to identify factors that may influence PSC. Using a self-reporting questionnaire method, we collected data from a total of 104 ICNs. The average self-perceived IC knowledge level was 3.1 ± 0.8, with hand hygiene scoring the highest at 3.7 ± 0.8. The total proportion of responders who did not meet the expected standard in 4 future-oriented domains was 51.7%. Of the 4 domains, technology had the highest number of respondents meeting the desired standard (57%). There were significant differences in self-perceived levels of PSC in relation to ICN specialist certification and continuing education (eg, extra coursework, conference attendance) in the field. Self-perceived practice levels of PSC also were significantly correlated with age, years of total clinical experience, years of ICN experience, hospital bed count, and IC knowledge. Predictors of self-perceived practice levels of PSC were knowledge and years of ICN experience. Educational programs are needed to promote knowledge and competency, the lack of which was recognized by the ICNs. Also, various efforts are needed to prevent turnover of ICNs with a high level of competency.

Knowledge of infection prevention and control in a tertiary hospital in Bauchi, Nigeria

Knowledge of infection prevention and control in a tertiary hospital in Bauchi, Nigeria

Assessment of infection control knowledge and compliance among health workers in government and primary health care facilities in Esan North East LGA, Edo State, Nigeria

Assessment of infection control knowledge and compliance among health workers in government and primary health care facilities in Esan North East LGA, Edo State, Nigeria