Practice Of Universal Precautions Research Articles

Acute hepatitis C virus infection: clinical update and remaining challenges.

Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health concern with substantial geographical variation in the incidence rate. People who have received unsafe medical procedures, used injection drugs, and lived with human immunodeficiency virus are reported to be most susceptible to acute HCV infection. The diagnosis of acute HCV infection is particularly challenging in immunocompromised, reinfected, and superinfected patients due to difficulty in detecting anti-HCV antibody seroconversion and HCV ribonucleic acid from a previously negative antibody response. With an excellent treatment effect on chronic HCV infection, recently, clinical trials investigating the benefit of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment for acute HCV infection have been conducted. Based on the results of cost-effectiveness analysis, DAAs should be initiated early in acute HCV infection prior to spontaneous viral clearance. Compared to the standard 8-12 week-course of DAAs for chronic HCV infection, DAAs treatment duration may be shortened to 6-8 weeks in acute HCV infection without compromising the efficacy. Standard DAA regimens provide comparable efficacy in treating HCV-reinfected patients and DAA-naïve ones. For cases contracting acute HCV infection from HCV-viremic liver transplant, a 12-week course of pangenotypic DAAs is suggested. While for cases contracting acute HCV infection from HCV-viremic non-liver solid organ transplants, a short course of prophylactic or pre-emptive DAAs is suggested. Currently, prophylactic HCV vaccines are unavailable. In addition to treatment scale-up for acute HCV infection, practice of universal precaution, harm reduction, safe sex, and vigilant surveillance after viral clearance remain critical in reducing HCV transmission.

Sharps Injuries Among Healthcare Providers in Uyo, Southern Nigeria

Introduction: Healthcare workers are at risk of exposures to blood and body fluids through splashes and sharps injuries while working in health facilities. This study was conducted to assess the level of sharps injuries and contact with patients’ body fluid among health workers in Uyo, Nigeria.Method: This was a comparative study among healthcare workers. A total of 360 individuals comprising 240 (66.7%) in public facilities and 120 (33.3%) in private facilities were interviewed via a selfadministered questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS version 11.Result: A higher proportion of respondents, 98 (81.7%), from the private compared to 133 (55.4%) from the public hospitals had sustained injury by sharps at their health facilities (p < 0.05).Out of this, up to 91.8% in the private facilities compared to 70.6% in the public had sustained injuries within the 12 months prior to the study (p < 0.05). Ninety two (93.9%) in the private facilities,and 99 (74.4%) in the public facilities, (p < 0.05) did not report the last sharps injuries to relevant authorities in their facilities. A higher proportion of the respondents in the private hospitals, 92 (76.6%), had ever had accidental splash of blood or other body fluidscompared to 126 (52.5%) in the public hospitals (p < 0.05). Only 113 (53.3%), in the public and 28 (40.6%) in the private facilities, were aware of policies about practice of Universal Precautions in their facilities.Conclusion: There was a high rate of sharps injuries among health workers. Adequate practice of universal precautions should be ensured in these facilities.

Prevalence of blood born viral infections among glaucoma patients in south-east, Nigeria

Background: The hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are blood-borne viral infections. They can predispose to occupational related infections in health care settings, including ophthalmology practice. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with HBV, HCV, and HIV among glaucoma patients. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a private specialist eye hospital on glaucoma patients managed between 1st August, 2020 and 31st July, 2021. A total of 594 patients met inclusion criteria of primary diagnoses of glaucoma. All blood samples were tested for HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV. The data was collected, entered and analyzed using STATA version 17.0 (College Station, TX: StataCorp LLC). The descriptive statistics were determined by means of percentages. Chi-square was used for trend analysis and p-value was used to declare the statistical significance between the variables. Results: The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV was 2.41% (15/622, 95%CI=1.35-3.98), 1.45% (9/622, 95%CI=0.66-2.75) and 3.22 (20/622, 95%CI=1.96-4.97) respectively. The prevalence of HBV was significantly higher in males compared to female counterparts. The prevalence of HBV was not influenced by age while the prevalence of HCV and HIV were not influenced by gender nor age. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV are high among glaucoma patients in south-east Nigeria. These findings have implications for practice on the need to strengthen the health care education and practice of universal safety precautions in ophthalmology practice.

Viral Hepatitis B and C: Knowledge Gaps and Patterns of Preventive Practices Among Medical Doctors in Rivers State, Nigeria.

IntroductionHepatitis B and C viruses can result in both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild acute disease to a serious, lifelong manifestation including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aims to determine the knowledge and attitudes of medical doctors in Rivers State, Nigeria, to hepatitis B and C as well as their practice for prevention and treatment of the same. We also assessed their practice of universal precaution, provision, and use of personal protective tools.MethodsOne hundred and fifty doctors in both the private and public sectors were interviewed using self-administered questionnaires on viral hepatitis B and C. The questionnaire explored their knowledge and status of vaccination, viral hepatitis treatment, and their practice of universal safety precautions. Their responses were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Data was expressed in means and percentages.ResultsOut of all participants, 96% were aware that viral hepatitis B is preventable, while 46% erroneously believed that there is vaccination against the hepatitis C virus. Only 50% of the respondents were aware of the availability of a cure for hepatitis C infection, and 16% of the participants knew about drugs used for its treatment. While 76% of the doctors had been vaccinated against hepatitis B virus, only 4% had received treatment after testing positive for hepatitis B. Furthermore, nearly all respondents admit practicing universal precaution, especially during venipuncture; however, protective measures such as disposable gloves were not readily available to 20% of our respondents. There was a statistically significant association between sex and duration of practice with knowledge of hepatitis B and C, as well as between practice type and vaccination status.ConclusionThis study shows that knowledge of the treatment of viral hepatitis amongst healthcare practitioners such as doctors is poor, and although universal safety precautions are practiced, personal protective equipment is not readily available for use in our healthcare setting, placing healthcare workers at risk of infections. There is also a need to encourage vaccination amongst healthcare practitioners to protect them against contagious diseases like hepatitis B and C infections.

Assessment of needle stick injuries among healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study from Kakiri military and SOS hospitals, Uganda

The Ugandan military medical services work together with the civilian public health system to deliver quality healthcare. This Partnership is the mainstay of health service delivery in Uganda. The burden of needle stick injuries (NSIs) is increasing in Uganda’s larger health industry; however, data on needle stick injury in military and public health facilities is lacking. No published data exist on comparative studies for a mix of facilities both military and civilian health settings. This study represents the first time this issue has been studied in a military or public health hospital in Uganda. A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2018 to September 2019 in Kakiri Military and SOS Hospitals in Uganda using a structured questionnaire. Respondents were purposively selected based on the objectives of study, occupation status and department (N = 310). The overall prevalence of NSIs among respondents was 27.2% and prevalence rates for the two facilities was nearly identical. The largest percentage of NSIs occurred during drawing venous blood samples (49.4%). Significant predictors of NSI were gender, occupational status, age, poor knowledge on prevention and post exposure of NSI, and less professional experience. Infection control practices were lacking in both selected health facilities. Over a quarter of HCWs in Uganda reported NSIs, which places them at significant health risk. Fostering the practice of universal precautions, best infection control practices and training of healthcare workers on bio-safety measures can reduce the prevalence of NSIs.

Management of dental office during COVID-19 Pandemic

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a deadly protein molecule devastating the humankind and has brought down the life to a standstill. Its effect is determined by the interaction among the agent, the host and the environment. The proven fact that the spread of COVID-19 is air-borne has made it mandatory for the dental fraternity to follow a systematic protocol in clinical practice. A proper history of travel and exposure, thermal scanning, symptoms of sore throat, dry cough and difficulty in breathing makes you suspect an individual with COVID-19. It is imperative to consider only emergency and essential dental procedures to be carried out under strict aseptic measures, not only for suspects but also for routine patients. COVID-19 and dentistry are very closely related to each other as dental professionals are directly working in the oral cavity. Although the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued comprehensive guidance to prevent the occurrence of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) in health facilities, the practice of universal precautions might still be lacking in many dental professionals due to improper knowledge. Data acquisition was carried out using the keywords, COVID-19, control of infection, and patient management in dental offices in PubMed, Medline, ProQuest, etc., electronic databases. There was also a manual scan of many journals and books, and highly relevant papers were considered for the present study.

Assessment of Clinical Pharmacists' Assistance for Patients With Established Cardiovascular Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights From Southern India.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the clinical pharmacist-initiated telephone-based patient education and self-management support for patients with cardiovascular disease during the nationwide lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A prospective single-center telephone-based cross-sectional study was conducted among patients at the Cardiology Department and its speciality clinic at a 1,800-bed tertiary care hospital in Southern India. A validated 8-item clinical pharmacist aided on-call questionnaire with two Domains was administered during and after lockdown (15 March and 8 June 2020). Clinical pharmacist-provided educational assistance on self-management practices were in accordance with the guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and World Health Organization. Comparisons was performed using sign test and association of responses were analyzed using the Goodman and Kruskal's gamma test. All the tests were two-tailed, p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: Of the 1,080 patients, 907 consented with a response rate of (83.9%) and 574 (96.36%) patients were analyzed post-intervention. Majority of the patients were male (54.7%) and had Acute Coronary Syndrome [NSTEMI (42.10%), STEMI (33.92%) and Unstable Angina (9.86)]. The majority of subjects had at least two co-morbid conditions [(Type II Diabetes (48.33%), Hypertension (50.11%)] and were rural population (82.5%) as self-employed (43.1%) with a middle-class economy (31.6%). In the Domain-1 of checklist the awareness toward complications caused by COVID-19 in cardiovascular diseases (Z = −19.698, p = 0.000) and the importance of universal safety precautions enhanced after clinical pharmacist assistance [(Z = −8.603, p = 0.000) and (Z = −21.795, p = 0.000)]. In Domain-II of checklist there was a significant improvement in patients awareness toward fatal complications caused by COVID-19 (Z = −20.543, p = 0.000), maintenance of self-hygiene (Z = −19.287, p = 0.000), practice of universal safety precautions (Z = −16.912, p = 0.000) and self-isolation (Z = −19.545, p = 0.000). The results of our study population varied from baseline evaluation (41.7%, n = 907) to post-intervention (95%, n = 574) based on Literacy, employment status and economic status.Conclusions: The proactive role of clinical pharmacists in providing instructional services in collaboration with cardiologist during the pandemic circumstances increased patients understanding and mitigated infection exposure among patients, health care professionals and also assuring the continuity of care in patients with established cardiovascular diseases.

A cross-sectional study on awareness and practice of universal precautions among laboratory technicians of a tertiary health care facility

Background: Biological hazards and health safety issues are a special concern in laboratory technicians who handle blood, body fluids, and tissues which may contain infectious agents. Lack of knowledge of standard precautions has been noted to influence the practice and behaviour change in relation to these precautions requires knowledge. This study therefore aims to study the awareness and practice of universal precautions (U.P) in lab technicians.Methods: Cross sectional type of study was conducted in the tertiary health care facility (Osmania General Hospital) in Hyderabad district among laboratory technicians of various departments from 1-20/11/18. Random sampling was done and data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire.Statistical analyses were performed using Microsoft excel 07. Descriptive analysis was done and Chi-square tests were used for establishing association.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 32.37 years, all of them were graduates by education and the mean length of experience was 5.45 yrs. The mean score for knowledge was 14 (41.1%).In the domain of practice, the responses were quite satisfactory with majority of the responses being “always” for all the practices, wearing eye shields and face masks was only “sometimes” followed and majority of “not applicable” were for wearing glovesConclusions: Although standard and isolation precautions are introduced, the overall performance of respondents was unsatisfactory.

TO ASSESS NURSES' KNOWLEDGE OF UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of health care workers (HCWs) towards universal precautions (UPs) Methodology: This study was undertaken between at Civil hospital, Shahpur. A self-administered questionnaire assessing the knowledge and UPs was used. Results: Ten nurses were included in the study. All the nurses were females. 80% of them were aged above 30 years while 20% aged above 30 years. For 60% of them, length of services was above 3 years while for remaining it was less than 3 years. All of the nurses were HBV vaccinated. All the nurses had adequate knowledge of UPs. Conclusions: The HCWs had adequate knowledge and poor practice of UPs.

A comparison of knowledge and practices of universal precautions among public sector health care workers in Ugu north sub-district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2010-2014).

BackgroundAnnually, there are a high number of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among health care workers (HCWs) globally. The knowledge and practice of HCWs of universal precautions (UPs) play an important role in determining the risk of an NSI. The objective of this study was to compare the knowledge and practices of UPs among HCWs with NSIs with HCWs without NSIs, in Ugu north sub-district in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, between 2010 and 2014.MethodsA study among HCWs having an NSI (n = 100) between 2010 and 2014 compared with controls (n = 200) was conducted in 2016–2017 at a district hospital and 11 primary health care facilities in Ugu north sub-district, KZN, South Africa. Health care workers’ knowledge and practices of UPs were assessed by using a standardised questionnaire. Knowledge and practice responses were scored, and means and standard deviations (SDs) were calculated. Total scores of knowledge and practices were categorised into acceptable and unacceptable, and a binary logistic model was used to identify independent factors associated with being a case. The accepted level of significance was 0.05.ResultsThe majority of the participants were nurses (n = 233; 77.7%) and female (n = 227; 75.7%). Control HCWs had better practice scores for UPs (86.13%; SD: 16.57) compared with cases (82.43%; SD: 19.98). The logistic regression analysis showed that the HCWs with acceptable knowledge and unacceptable practice were more likely to have had an NSI (odds ratio [OR]: 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4–24.0).ConclusionThere were significant differences between cases and controls with respect to knowledge and practice of UPs that are important findings for workplace health and safety and HCW training.

Practice of Universal Precaution among Health Care Providers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Tripura: A Cross- Sectional Study

Practice of Universal Precaution among Health Care Providers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Tripura: A Cross- Sectional Study

Prevalence of occupational exposure to needle-stick injury and associated factors among healthcare workers of developing countries: Systematic review.

BackgroundHealthcare workers are at high risk of infection from blood‐borne pathogens, such as Hepatitis B and C Virus, and Human Immunodeficiency. Occupational exposure to needle‐stick injuries (NSIs) continue to have a major health problem in the healthcare systems of developing countries. Thus, this review article aimed to provide the evidence on the prevalence of NSI and associated factors among healthcare workers of developing countries.MethodsThe studies published from 2012 to 2019 were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, Med Nar, and Science Direct. The MeSH terms and/or keywords was used in conjunction with “AND” or “OR” (Boolean logic operators). All identified keywords and an index terms were checked across the included databases. Assessment and evaluation were taken to confirm the quality and relevance of the included articles, followed by extraction and analysis of data.ResultOverall, 2021 articles were identified using specified search terms from the initial searches of the literature (2012‐2019). A total of 13 articles met eligibility criteria were included in the review. Among 6513 participants, 1009 and 2201 participants involved to determine 1‐year and throughout career prevalence, respectively. The prevalence of NSI ranged from 19.9% to 54.0% with an overall prevalence of 35.7% and 38.5 to 100% with an overall prevalence of 64.1% in the previous 1 year and throughout career, respectively. Sex, workload, needle recapping, overuse of injection, and practice of universal precautions, training, occupation, working experience, and personal protective equipment were among the factors associated with the prevalence of NSIs in developing countries.ConclusionThe review indicated that NSIs have been identified as one of the most serious issues that affect the health and well‐being of healthcare workers in the majority of healthcare systems of developing countries. There is a need to apply safety practices or other measures to reduce the risk of NSIs.

Sharp Injuries and Associated Factors Among Health Care Professionals in Western Wollega Public Hospitals, West Ethiopia

Background: Sharp injuries (SIs) are wounds caused by sharp instruments accidentally puncturing the skin. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess magnitude of sharp injuries and associated factors among health care professionals in western “wollega” public Hospitals, west Ethiopia. Methods: Facility based cross- sectional study design was used in western “Wollega” zone public hospitals from February 10 to March 12, 2015. All health care professionals available during the study period were included in the study. Data were entered in to SPSS for windows version 16.0 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression model was done to identify independent effects of each predictor. Result: The prevalence of sharp injuries among health care professionals in western wollega public hospitals is 56 (32.9%). The prevalence of sharp injuries was higher among diploma nurses (40.5%), followed by laboratory technicians and diploma midwifery respectively. The sharp injuries experienced in the last one year were related to recapping of needle (53.6%), 48.2% during suturing, and failure to adhere to Universal precautions (33.9%). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the most important risk factor for sharp injuries were lack of training (Adjusted Odds Ratio=15.6), working experience 10 injection per day (Adjusted Odds Ratio=13), working more than 35 hours per week (Adjusted Odds Ratio=8.22), negative attitude (AOR=8.6), poor practice of universal precautions (Adjusted Odds Ratio=6.6), night shift work (Adjusted Odds Ratio=6.6) and recapping of needle most of the time (Adjusted Odds Ratio=9.9). Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of sharp injury in western wollega public hospitals is 56 (32.9%) within the last one year. Lack of training, hours worked per week, number of injection per day, work experience, poor practice, negative attitude, night shift work and recapping of needle were identified as risk factors for sharp injuries. Further prospective studies on large scale are recommended to determine the cause and effect relationship of factors affecting sharp injuries among HCPs in hospital setting.

Study on utilization of personal protective equipments by paramedical staffs: an institutional study at RIMS, Ranchi

Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) continues to play an integral role in prevention of transmission of infection in the healthcare setting. The objective of this study is to determine the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of universal precautions for control of infection among health care workers.Methods: Cross sectional study were conducted at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi during the period of November 2018 to January 2019. 151 paramedical staffs were included as study population. Sampling method was consecutive sampling.Results: The present study included 151 paramedical staffs, based on our criteria about knowledge of PPEs, 88.7% (134) of participants had the knowledge, while 11.3% (17) did not have. 77% (116) of paramedical staffs received formal training while 23.2% (35) didn’t. 95.68% had the knowledge about PPEs who received training (116), while out of untrained person 65.71% already had knowledge about PPEs which is statistically significant. Departments which always use PPEs are emergency (50%) followed by pathology (16.6%) and Neurosurgery (13.3%) which is statistically significant. Those who frequently use PPEs, 89.6% had knowledge while 10.4% did not have. 85.4% of paramedical staff change gloves between procedures on same patient. Non availabilityof PPEs inhibit maximum percentage of Paramedical staffs 72% towards use of PPEs followed by lack of information and education 12% and uncomfortable PPEs 5%.Conclusions: Proper training should be provided to healthcare workers for universal precaution. Information about universal precaution can be spread in the form of posters in different wards.

Awareness and Occupational Exposures to Needlestick Injuries among Healthcare Workers: A Quantitative Assessment in a Ghanaian Metropolis

Abstract Background: This study determined awareness and occupational exposures to needlestick injuries (NSIs) and its associated risk factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 540 HCWs from three selected tertiary hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed. Results: All the study participants were aware of NSI and NSI-associated hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. Most of them (63.6%) were trained on the safety use of sharps devices and the majority of them preferred safety-engineered devices (79.8%). A greater proportion of the participants has had HBV vaccination (85.9%). The prevalence of NSIs was approximately 47%. NSIs were highly ranked to occur at patient's bedside (28.5%) and clinical laboratories (24.6%). Handling of needles/sharp objects before usage (27.7%) and during usage (34.0%) ranked the second and first cause of NSIs among health workers, respectively. Compared with those with less than 5 years working experience, having worked at the health facility between 5 and 10 years (prevalence rate ration [PRR] = 2.07 [1.39–3.11], p = 0.0004), 11–15 years (PRR = 4.32 [2.14–8.73], p &amp;lt; 0.0001), and &amp;gt;15 years (PRR = 5.73 [2.40–13.70], p &amp;lt; 0.0001) were associated with increased events of NSI. Conclusion: Despite the high awareness of NSIs and its perceived risk of infection acquisition, the prevalence of NSIs was high among HCWs. There is, therefore, the need for employers to enforce the universal precaution practices, provide regular training and education, and ensure adherence of HCWs to safety precaution of needle usage disease.

A cross-sectional observational study to assess the awareness regarding needle prick injuries among health care providers of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Madhya Pradesh, India

Background: Health care workers (HCW) are at risk of an occupational exposure to blood borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B through accidental needle stick injuries. This study was conducted to assess the awareness regarding needle prick injuries among health care providers and their exposure to NSIs in a tertiary care medical college hospital with 750 bed capacity.Methods: This cross sectional observational study was conducted on 300 voluntarily participated HCWs out of total 650 HCWs. A semi structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge about exposure to blood and body fluids, needle stick injuries and associated risks and post exposure prophylaxis. Details of previous exposures to NSIs in last one year (2017-18) were also asked and their opinion about role and responsibilities of hospital administration for management of NSI was also recorded.Results: More than 90% HCWs were aware of exposure to blood and body fluids, 80.7% were aware of needle stick injuries, all 100% were aware of transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B from NSis and 78% were aware of post exposure prophylaxis. 97 cases of NSIs occurred in last one year which was higher than estimated EPInet data. Injection needle was most commonly (93.8%) involved in causing accidental NSIs.Conclusions: Practice of universal precautions and standard injection procedures by HCWs should be followed and education, training, and group insurance should be provided by hospital administration for prevention of NSIs.

Nurses knowledge, attitudes and practices towards patients with HIV and AIDS in Kumasi, Ghana

BackgroundStudies on knowledge, attitudes and practices among health care workers involved in HIV and AIDS care have often revealed the lack of knowledge about HIV and AIDS. Nurses’ knowledge may compromise the quality of care and attitudes towards patients living with HIV/AIDS. Special nursing knowledge and skills have been suggested as prerequisite for taking care of patients with HIV. PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards patients with HIV and AIDS in Kumasi, Ghana. MethodsA quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 nurses at five selected health facilities in the Kumasi Metropolis. Data was collected by means of structured self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Results were presented using charts and tables. ResultsKnowledge on HIV and AIDS was satisfactory but some still hold erroneous beliefs and misconception about HIV transmission. A majority demonstrated favourable attitudes. Nurses had fears of contracting the virus, which resulted in the display of negative attitudes by some. Their practice of universal precautions was satisfactory; however there was evidence of non-compliance among some of them. ConclusionThe need for continuous in-service training of nurses on HIV and AIDS is a key contributing factor to promoting knowledge, correcting a misconception, favourable attitude and improve compliance to universal precautions and other preventive practices such as uptake of PEP.

The prevalence of sharp injuries in the operative room among surgical residents and their behavior to them in the southern region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Residents of surgical specialties have a high risk of sharp injuries. The reporting behaviors have a critical step in prophylaxis and early treatment. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of sharp injuries in the operative room among surgical residents and their behavior. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted including 166 surgical specialty residents who involved in operating procedures from seven hospitals in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. A self-administrating questionnaire about sharp injuries, predisposing factors for sharp injuries, and practice of universal precautions during the surgical procedures was used for data collection. The study questionnaire was developed by the researchers after intensive literature review and another research tool from a previous similar study which was conducted in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah city of Saudi Arabia. Results: About 64% of the residents have had at least one sharp injury in the last year. Most of these injuries (53.3%) occurred while suturing and 76.6% claimed the reason was due to fatigue. Most of the recent injuries (86%) were self-induced injuries caused with a solid needle (65.4%). The most common action post the injury was replacing the gloves and the needle (36.7%). Only 9% of them have reported all of their injuries to the concerned authorities, and 56% claimed the reason that they were not bothered. About 75.3% of them were aware of their local policies. Conclusion: Sharp injuries and needlestick are common among surgical residents, but they have weak reporting behavior. More educational training program about the sharp-related safety program may improve their attitude and behavior regarding sharp injuries.

Universal precaution practice and barriers to compliance among nurses in Aseer public Hospitals, Saudi Arabia

Universal precaution practice and barriers to compliance among nurses in Aseer public Hospitals, Saudi Arabia

PENERAPAN UNIVERSAL PRECAUTION UNTUK PENCEGAHAN PENULARAN HIV-AIDS

Universal Precaution socialization for midwives in Bengkulu had been realized since 2000 by giving preventive on infection (PI) information, but in fact UP implementation does not implemented properly so the risk of HIV &amp; AIDS transmission becoming higher. The purpose of this research for analyze Universal Precaution practice by the midwives in delivery service for prevent HIV &amp; AIDS transmission. This research is a part of explanatory research with cross sectional approaching. The sample of this research is the number of total population who included in the inclusion criteria, they are 220 midwives. The data collection was using questionnaire and for crosscheck data was using in-depth interview on 6 key informants. analyzing data using descriptive analysis and content analysis. There are five variables were giving the influences on this research, they are : the knowledge about HIV with OR=16.990, the knowledge on Universal Precaution with OR= 3.214, attitudes on HIV with OR=9.719, resources with OR= 28.416 and policy with OR= 4.847.