Standard Infection Control Precautions Research Articles

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Standard Infection Control Precautions among Health-care Workers in Baghdad, Al-Rusafa, 2023

Abstract Background: Hospital stays, mortality, and expenditures rise with health-care-associated infections, especially in developing countries. Public health promotes infection control. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess health-care workers’ (HCWs) infection control knowledge, attitude, and practice and determine how sociodemographic and job descriptive variables affect them. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study at four Baghdad/Al-Rusafa government hospitals (Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Al-Shaheed Al-Sader Hospital, Ibn Al-Balady Children and Maternity Hospital, and Fatima Al-Zahraa Children and Maternity Hospital). Subjects and Methods: All resident doctors, nurses, and laboratory personnel who were present during data collection and agreed to participate were included in this study. Statistical Analysis: Data were entered using Excel 2019 and then analyzed using SPSS 26. Frequency and percentage analyzed quantitative data, while Chi-square test analyzed categorical data. P <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: Knowledge level was higher among HCWs aged 30–39 years (79.4%), doctors (81.0%), individuals with more than 5 years of experience (75.0%), and those who received training (83.7%). Positive attitudes were most prevalent among HCWs aged 49 years and older (68.6%), laboratory workers (59.4%), individuals with more than 5 years of experience (55.5%), and those who received training (60.6%). A higher level of practice was observed in individuals aged 30–39 years (83.2%), laboratory personnel (80.4%), those with 5–14 years of experience (80.4%), and trainees (83.0%). Conclusions: Three-quarters of HCWs had good knowledge and practice regarding infection control precautions, and nearly half of them had a positive attitude. The knowledge, attitude, and practice of HCWs were increasing with progress in age, increasing work experience, and also with training.

Nurses' Adherence to Infection Control Practices in Emergency Departments

Background: Follow-Up on Infection Prevention Measures It is an assortment of techniques intended to keep things free of microbes, Patient protection from diseases necessitates several actions. Preventing and controlling infections is one of the most crucial tasks for nurses. Using hand hygiene with personal protection equipment is a crucial step that can help prevent infections or their repercussions. The safety of patients and maintaining sterility and cleanliness in hospitals are the responsibilities of all nurses working there. Objectives: to evaluate the adherence of emergency department nurses to infection control protocols and recommendations. Methodology: This cross-sectional study selected a nonprobability (purposive) sample of 120 nurses working in emergency departments across three hospitals: Baghdad Teaching Hospital (50%), Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital (35.8%), and Sheik Zaydi Hospital 14.2%. The study was conducted from September 20, 2023, to 30 June 2024. collection tool, which consists of two parts: The first part is the demographic characteristics of the nursing staff (age, gender, level of education, years of experience in the emergency department, and participation in training courses related to infection control measures). Second part: Checklists were utilized for observation. The study instrument's reliability was assessed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Program (IBM SPSS) by applying Cronbach's Alpha. Results: The study finding shows that, based on the data, 66.7% of the respondents reported a fair level of practices about infection control measures. Sociodemographic factors such as qualifications notably impact nurses' practices regarding adherence to infection control practices. CONCLUSIONS: The researcher concluded that the nurses' practices were not at the level required (fair) to fit with the critical and special nature of the emergency department. Recommendations: Standard precautions are the basic level of the infection control process. The participants may possess satisfactory knowledge and compliance levels. However, more training programs and more focus on the standard precautions by educational institutes are needed for nurses to improve their knowledge and compliance with infection-control standard precautions.

Infection prevention and control: understanding the fundamentals.

Infection prevention and control is crucial to prevent patients and healthcare staff from being harmed by avoidable infections, including healthcare-associated infections. This article outlines the main elements of standard precautions for infection prevention and control, as set out by the World Health Organization. Nurses and other healthcare professionals can use this information to refresh their knowledge of infection prevention and control, understand the appropriate practices that should be adopted to reduce the risk of infection transmission, and increase their awareness of the importance of sustainability and education.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Standard Infection Control Precautions Among Medical Students at King Khalid University Hospital.

Background Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) risk extends beyond patients to healthcare workers and medical students. However, many HAIs are preventable by adhering to standard infection control precautions (SICPs). This study assesses medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding SICPs at the College of Medicine, King Saud University. Methodology A cross-sectional study was undertaken at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, involving interns and medical students from years 1 to 5. The researchers constructed and validated an electronic questionnaire, which was used for data collection from December 2022 to June 2023. The estimated sample size was 371 students and interns, stratified by sex and educational level. The data collected included demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding SICPs. Results Out of371 participants, approximately a quarter (25.1%) had a good knowledge score, 25.6% had a positive attitude, and 26.7% had good infection control practice. There was an association between good knowledge and male gender; being in clinical years 3, 4, 5, and interns; and attending infection control training (p < 0.05). A significant difference in practice was noted among females (p = 0.002). Conclusions This study showed low-to-moderate knowledge, attitude, and practice toward SICPs. These findings indicate a gap between the recommended guidelines and their implementation in healthcare settings, highlighting the necessity for integrating infection control education throughout the medical curriculum. Further research involving a larger sample from multiple institutions is warranted.

Knowledge and Confidence Level among Emergency Healthcare Workers in Airway Management and Resuscitation of Suspected Covid-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Penang and Kelantan

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 cases in Malaysia have followed a never-ending course of spike and fall since it was first detected. Though the prominent role of infection control standard precautions were strictly applied, cases among emergency healthcare workers (EHCW) contracting the disease continue to rise. Our study aims to evaluate the knowledge and confidence level and the factors that may influence the knowledge and confidence level among EHCW in airway management and resuscitation of suspected COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in tertiary hospitals in Penang and Kelantan using a validated questionnaire. The territories evaluated include the possible method of transmission, proper steps during resuscitation, airway management and intubation, intensive care management, and etiquette of personal protective equipment. RESULTS: Out of 543 EHCW eligible for the study, only 300 participants responded to the questionnaire. Our study showed only 15.3% of respondents had good knowledge and 62.3% had high confidence in airway management and resuscitation of suspected COVID-19 patients. Significant associations were seen in knowledge and confidence level among respondents with previous experience attending continuing medical education (F=7.041, P=0.008 and F=19.398, P&lt;0.001 respectively). Significant associations were also demonstrated in confidence level among respondents with previous simulation training experience (F=13.905, P&lt;0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that most EHCW had poor knowledge and moderately adequate confidence in the airway management and resuscitation of suspected COVID-19 patients. A more comprehensive and strategized training program needs to be conducted to help in improvement of the knowledge and confidence level among EHCW.

KNOWLEDGE AND PREDICTORS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF STANDARD PRECAUTIONS FOR INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL AMONG HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS.

Infection prevention and control involve health care practitioners, who are saddled with the duty of ensuring implementation of standard preventive measures to prevent healthcare associated infections. To assess the knowledge and predictors of implementation of standard precautions for infection prevention and control among health care practitioners (HCPs). A questionnaire-based cross-sectional design was employed in assessing HCPs in Uganda in from April - October 2023. Data were analyzed using descriptive, Pearsons' correlation, linear and binary logistic regression with the aid of SPSS Version 22. Among the 222 healthcare practitioners assessed, 127 (57.2%) and 115 (51.8 %) had good knowledge and practice towards implementation of standard infection prevention and control precautions respectively. Chi square analysis indicated that age of healthcare practitioner (p=0.02; CI: 0.018 - 0.23), hospital unit of practice (p=0.003; CI: 0.002 - 0.004) and the type of facility where the health care practitioner works is significantly associated with their knowledge, while profession of the healthcare practitioner (p=0.002; CI: 0.001-0.003) and hospital unit of practice (p=0.002; CI: 0.001-0.003) were associated with implementation of the standard infection prevention and control precautions. Linear regression revealed knowledge is a significant predictor of good practice towards implementation of preventive measures (OR = 0.19; CI 0.102 - 0.272; p < 0.001). Healthcare practitioners had poor knowledge and practice towards infection prevention. Thus, emphasizing continuous education and training for all healthcare professionals about infection prevention and control interventions as well as strict adherence to proper infection prevention and control practices.

Assessment of Nurses’ Performance Regarding Infection Control Standard Precautions during Covid-19 Pandemic in Family Health Centers at Beni-Suef City

Assessment of Nurses’ Performance Regarding Infection Control Standard Precautions during Covid-19 Pandemic in Family Health Centers at Beni-Suef City

Practices and Adherence of Nurses with Standard Precautions of Infection Control in Intensive Care Units of Public Sector Hospitals in Lahore

&lt;p&gt;Abstract&lt;/p&gt;&#x0D; &lt;p&gt;Background and objective: Severely ill patients are at a higher risk of carrying nosocomial infections especially when admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs). Therefore, it is the professional obligation of all health workers to adhere to the scientifically accepted criteria for infection control in clinical settings. This study was conducted to assess intensive care nurses&amp;rsquo; adherence to standard precautions (SPs) and to assess the practices of SPs in intensive care.&lt;/p&gt;&#x0D; &lt;p&gt;Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at ICUs of two public sector hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, from March to September, 2022. A total of 150 nurses were selected for the study who worked in the medical-surgical, general, and specialized ICUs. The extent to which the behavior of a worker coincides with the prescribed standard (Adherence) and performing work repeatedly till it becomes a routine competency (Practice) was assessed using a structured questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to determine the link between adherence to SPs and the practice carried out by nurses. Data were analyzed and a p-value &amp;le; 0.05 was taken as significant.&lt;/p&gt;&#x0D; &lt;p&gt;Results: A total of 84.7% of nurses showed adherence while practice was demonstrated by 52.7% of nurses. No significant correlation (p-value:0.95) was however found between the practice and adherence to the SPs, despite the fact that a notable gap was observed between the practice and adherence to SPs among ICU nurses.&lt;/p&gt;&#x0D; &lt;p&gt;Conclusion: It is concluded that a compromised adherence to SPs of infection control in ICUs of public sector hospitals in Lahore is exhibited by the nurses.&lt;/p&gt;

Nurses’ Performance and barriers to Use Infection Control Standard Precautions in Emergency Unit

Nurses’ Performance and barriers to Use Infection Control Standard Precautions in Emergency Unit

Assessment of the Knowledge and Practice of Infection Control among Radiographers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia in the period from February to May 2022, with data collected using an online survey in the form of a google forms questionnaire disseminated through social media as an electronic link and including the patient's demographic characteristic such as age, gender, education level, experience, and prior infection control training and multiple closed ended questions to assess knowledge of standard infection control precautions and the practice of infection control. Overall, 113 participants responded to the survey and entered their responses directly, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS (statistical package for social science). The study revealed that the mean score of knowledge and awareness of the practice of infection control among radiographers in Saudi Arabia was (63.0 and 61.9, respectively), which were considered moderate levels. Females were significantly more knowledgeable about infection control and more aware of the practice than males (p-values = 0.019). The participants who previously attended courses of infection control training had a significantly higher score with a mean rank of (60.9) than those who had not (43.4), (p-value = 0.013). The radiographers' level of experience, age, and academic qualification had no significant influence on overall knowledge and practice of infection control (p-values > 0.05). In Saudi Arabia, radiographers have a moderate level of knowledge and practice of infection control. There is a need for an ongoing training and education program for practicing radiographers to ensure they perform better in infection control measures.

Nurses' Performances Regarding Infection Control Standard Precautions at Shar Teaching Hospital in Sulaimani City

Background: Standard precautions include hand washing, protective equipment, respiratory hygiene, sharps safety, injection techniques, patient care, waste disposal, and disinfected surfaces for infection control. Aim: the study aimed to evaluate Nurses' Performances Regarding Infection Control Standard Precautions, and the Association between the Practices of Nurses and Sociodemographic Characteristics. Methods: This study used a descriptive observational design to study 212 nurses in all departments at Shar Teaching Hospital in Sulaimani. A probability-based sampling method was used, and data were collected from March 15, 2022, to September 20, 2022. The questionnaire involved questions about the nurses' demographics and their work environment. Results: The result of the study indicates that (39.6%) of the nurses have good performance regarding infection control standard precautions, and there was a statistically significant association between nursing performance concerning age, level of education and employment Conclusion: only half of the participants had good infection control practices. Factors that affected this level of practice were found.

Nonsterile Glove Use

In acute care settings with low-risk of infection transmission, discontinuing contact precautions (i.e., gloves and gown) may result in similar rates of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and may lower the risk of hospital-acquired vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), compared to scenarios in which such precautions were employed. Rates of late-onset infections in a neonatal intensive care unit were similar when standard infection control precautions were used compared with universal glove use. Two guidelines recommend that nonsterile gloves should be worn for nonsterile procedures when it is anticipated that there will be contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes, lesions, or hazardous drugs and chemicals; for environmental cleaning; and when contact precautions for infection control are in effect.

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Nurses' Compliance with Infection Control Standard Precautions

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Nurses' Compliance with Infection Control Standard Precautions

Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Infection Control Standard Precautions at Shar Teaching Hospital in Sulaimani City

Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Infection Control Standard Precautions at Shar Teaching Hospital in Sulaimani City

Impact of designed infection control educational program on nurses' knowledge and compliance with standard precautions at maternity hospitals

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the nurses' knowledge and compliance with infection control standard precautions and evaluate the impact of the designed infection control educational program on nurses' knowledge and compliance with standard precautions at the maternity hospital. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used on convenient sample of 60 nurses working at Obstetrics and Gynecological hospital in Cairo University Hospital, Kasr El Ainy, who received “designed infection control educational program” for 6 months. The data were collected through the questionnaire comprising demographics, knowledge, and compliance with standard precautions questionnaire. The nurses' knowledge and compliance score were compared before and after intervention. Results: The studied nurses had higher level of knowledge (85.3%) and compliance (92.8%) regarding infection control standard precautions after the educational program compared to before the program. The results revealed statistically significant difference between before and after the program regarding nurses' knowledge score (15.5 ± 2.9 vs. 17.1 ± 1.6, P &lt; 0.001) and compliance score (58.5 ± 13.2 vs. 74.3 ± 5.1, P &lt; 0.001). In addition, there was insignificant relation between nurses' knowledge and compliance with standard precautions both before (r = 0.952, P = 0.474) and after educational program (r = 0.164, P = 0.223). Conclusion: The nurses' level of knowledge and compliance regarding infection control standard precautions was significantly improved after the program. Therefore, it is recommended that periodical educational programs regarding the standard precautions of infection control are essential for nurses at maternity hospital.

Assessment of neonatal intensive care unit nurses’ compliance with standard precautions of infection control and identification of enabling factors

BackgroundRigorous implementation of infection prevention and control practices by healthcare workers in different healthcare settings is of utmost importance. Neonates, particularly preterm babies in neonatal intensive care units, are a vulnerable population at high risk for developing nosocomial infections. Nurses have the greatest risk of spreading healthcare-associated infections among patients and healthcare workers. This study was conducted to assess the compliance of neonatal intensive care unit nurses with standard precautions of infection control and to identify the potential influencing factors.ResultsThis was a cross-sectional study, whereby the compliance of a total of 58 neonatal intensive care unit nurses with standard precautions of infection control was assessed using the Arabic version of the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (CSPS-A). Student’s t test, ANOVA test, and post hoc test were used for analysis.A suboptimal compliance rate (66.7%) was detected, with the highest for disposal of sharp articles into sharps boxes (86.2%) and the lowest for disposal of sharps box not only when full (27.6%). Significant differences were observed when participants were grouped according to their clinical experience and qualifications, where participants with longer clinical experience displayed higher mean scores for the use of protective devices score (P = 0.024), disposal of sharps score (P = 0.003), and total CSPS score (P = 0.006).ConclusionsClinical experience and educational qualifications are key factors that impact nurses’ compliance with infection control practices. Nurses should receive up-to-date evidence-based educational and practical sessions that link theory to clinical practice and elucidate the importance of accurate implementation of proper infection prevention and control practices.

Isolation of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Wound Samples during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study

Introduction: On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARSCoV-2) virus as a pandemic. This recently discovered β-coronavirus spread instantaneously across mainland China due to human-tohuman transmission and crossed international borders aided by intercontinental travel. In most nations, the logarithmic growth of the cases very quickly overwhelmed the healthcare system which led to the overcrowding of the hospitals and led to a sudden surge in Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs). Implementation of contact precautions was implemented to control cross-infection. Aim: To determine the effect of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) on the prevalence of HAIs with special emphasis on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Materials and Methods: This three-year retrospective study (September 2018-August 2021) was undertaken at an apex tertiary care institute in Northern India. Wound swabs were collected and processed in the laboratory for the presence of aerobic bacterial isolates. S. aureus was identified using conventional methods and antimicrobial sensitivity was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and later analysed in International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Results: A steady increase in the isolation of MethicillinResistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was noted during the study period (60.5% in 2018 to 78.1% in 2021). A statistically significant increase was noted in the detection of MRSA after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (p=0.018) despite the reduced number of surgeries conducted in the institution and rigorous execution of contact precautions. Conclusion: There was an increase in the rate of MRSA isolation during the study period. The increase was significantly affected by the onset of COVID-19. To contain the spread of MRSA, novel methods including preoperative screening of patients undergoing elective surgeries and periodic screening of hospital staff need to be implemented along with standard infection control precautions at all times.

Considering the precautionary principle and its application to MRSA and SARS-CoV-2 as emerging novel pathogens of their time.

In the 1980s Contact Precautions were introduced as a precautionary measure to control the emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance in hospitals, particularly methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Today, antimicrobial resistance remains a concerning global public health threat, and a focus for hospital patient safety priorities. In late 2019 a novel respiratory virus described as SARS-CoV-2, was reported. Just as MRSA had prompted control measures developed in the context of limited information and understanding of the pathogen, public health control measures against SARS-CoV-2 were promptly and strictly implemented. Whilst SARS-CoV-2 control measures were successful at containing the virus, numerous detrimental socio-economic and health impacts have led to a rebalancing of harms versus benefits and loosening of restrictions. Conversely, evidence collated over the past 50 years, suggests that Contact Precautions are not superior to well-applied standard infection prevention and control precautions in controlling MRSA acquisition in hospitals. Several harms associated with Contact Precautions, affecting patient safety, financial costs, and organisational culture, are described. However, rebalancing of hospital MRSA control policies has been slow to materialise. This commentary invites infection prevention and control policy makers to reflect and revise policies for the control of MRSA in hospitals so that harms do not outweigh benefits.

Learning outcomes of a mobile application for dental infection control education.

This study aimed to apply and verify the effectiveness of a mobile-based dental infection control education application to enable students majoring in dental hygiene to learning dental infection control education without time and space constraints. This study used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design to examine differences in learning outcomes between an experimental group that learned through the mobile application and a control group that learned with handouts. The Infection Prevention and Control Mobile Application (IPC App) and handouts were developed by referring to the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in Dental Settings. Both the experimental and control groups were guided to perform self-regulated learning, where they independently led and managed their learning for two weeks. The study was conducted at the D university college with 42 students from the second grade in the Department of Dental Hygiene from August to October 2021. Differences in knowledge, self-efficacy, and summative evaluation were analyzed using an independent sample t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance (p<0.05). The findings confirmed that the experimental group who learned through the IPC mobile application had improved their knowledge and indicated a higher summative evaluation than the control group that learned via learning documents (p<0.05). Owing to the high accessibility and repeatability of the learning content, the mobile application recommended in this study may serve as an effective self-directed learning tool for students to gain knowledge on the standard precautions for dental infection control.

Monkeypox and the dental team

Monkeypox (MPX), a rare zoonotic disease, endemic to some African countries is now spreading in non-endemic regions, including the UK. So far, it has been reported in 93 countries with over 38,000 global cases, although the signs are that the disease may be plateauing in UK. The outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). Monkeypox virus (MPXV), belongs to the family Orthopoxviridae, the same family as the smallpox (variola) virus. Although some features of MPX resemble smallpox, a disease that has been eradicated, the former is far milder with a very few associated fatalities. Usually, the initial signs of MPX appear during its prodrome, as single or multiple macular lesions on the oral mucosa, accompanied by generalized lymphadenopathy, followed by the characteristic macular, papular vesicular rash on the skin that heals with scarring. The major mode of spread of MPX is generally through direct or indirect contact with body fluids or lesion material. Its transmission in the dental clinic environment is unlikely if the standard infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions recommended in the National IPC Manual (NHS England) are adhered to. These include wearing N95 masks, fluid-resistant attire and eye protection. Here, the virology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management and prevention strategies of MPX, with particular reference to dentistry are reviewed. CPD/Clinical Relevance: To describe the epidemiology of the re-emergent monkeypox outbreak, and discuss the management of dental patients who may present with it.