Objective To better understand hospital infection control practices in Ethiopia. was

Objective To better understand hospital infection control practices in Ethiopia. was suboptimal. Physicians reported performing hand hygiene 7% and 48% before and after patient contact respectively. Barriers for performing hand hygiene included lack of hand hygiene brokers (77%) sinks (30%) proper training (50%) NVP-231 NVP-231 and irritation and dryness (67%) caused by hand sanitizer made per WHO formulation. TB contamination control knowledge was excellent (>90% correct). Most HCWs felt at high risk for occupational acquisition of TB (71%) and that proper TB contamination control can prevent nosocomial transmission (92%). Only 12% of HCWs regularly wore a mask when caring for TB patients. Only 8% of HCWs reported masks were regularly available and 76% cited a lack of infrastructure to isolate suspected/known TB patients. Conclusions Training HCWs about the importance and proper practice of hand hygiene along with improving hand sanitizer options may improve patient safety. Additionally enhanced infrastructure is needed to improve TB contamination control practices and allay HCW issues about acquiring TB in the hospital. Clean Care is usually Safer Carecampaign(4). A cornerstone of the program is usually to decrease HCAIs through improving hand hygiene among healthcare workers. While the WHO campaign has layed out a framework hand hygiene adherence continues to be problematic even though it is usually a simple and highly effective measure to reduce HCAIs(5)(6). While adherence with hand hygiene is usually poor in both developed and developing nations barriers to implementation of a successful hand hygiene program may be different in resource-limited settings(3)(4). Tuberculosis (TB) contamination control is an essential but NVP-231 often-overlooked component of a comprehensive contamination control program in resource-limited settings. In healthcare settings with high HIV prevalence and poor TB contamination control practices can be rapidly transmitted to patients and HCWs; immunocompromised are NVP-231 at best risk for the development of active TB disease (7).(8)(9)(10). In many RLS contamination control procedures for suspected and active TB cases are minimal due to lack of infrastructure capacity(e.g. poor ventilation lack of individual rooms lack NVP-231 of ability to separate patients with and without TB disease etc.) personal protective gear (i.e. N95 respirators) and laboratory diagnostic capacity for TB. Patients with suspected or active TB are most commonly admitted to the general wards without regard to TB status leading to comingling of patients with active TB disease and highly immunocompromised persons such as those with HIV/AIDS(8)(11). Multiple studies have exhibited higher rates of TB among HCWs than the general populace in RLS(12)(13)(14). The outbreak of extensively drug-resistant TB in South Africa exhibited the devastating effects of nosocomially acquired TB among HIV-infected patients(10). A KAP survey is usually a representative study of a specific populace that aims to collect data on baseline knowledge beliefs and practices in relation to a particular topic. The data from these surveys enable institutions to set program priorities estimate resources required for implementation and establish a baseline in which change can be assessed after interventions are applied. In terms of contamination control KAP surveys can identify knowledge gaps cultural beliefs Mouse monoclonal to HDAC3 or behavioral patterns that may impede contamination control efforts. With this goal in mind we conducted the first hospital based contamination control survey in Ethiopia. Methods Study Design and Participants From January to March 2012 we performed a cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers (HCWs) at Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Both facilities are academic teaching hospitals affiliated with Addis Ababa University or college. Tikur Anbessa Specialized hospital is the major referral hospital for the whole country with about 600beds an average of 300 0 outpatient visits annually total of more than 6000 surgeries per year and 14 Intensive care Unit beds(6 medical 5 surgical and 3 pediatrics ICU beds). St Paul’s General Specialized hospital has about 390 beds more than 200 0 outpatient visits per year total of more than 4 500.