Control Measures for Nosocomial Infections: Knowledge and Practice of Medical Students in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Background: The risk of acquiring nosocomial infections is high among hospitalised patients in developing countries. Exposure to hospital workers and medical students also renders them susceptible to these infections. Knowledge of control measures by these students is thus pertinent for both self-protection and limitation of infection spread. Aim: The study was aimed to assess the knowledge of medical students in a Nigerian tertiary hospital of the control measures for nosocomial infections. Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted among medical students in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), south-east; Nigeria between January and June 2016. A 20-item structured, infection-control standardised questionnaires were administered to 221 students selected by systematic random sampling. The collected data were analysed for descriptive statistics using SPSS software package version 20 (IBM SPSS). The differences in proportions were tested for statistical significance using the Chi-square test. Statistical significance was based on p- value <0.05. Results: Of the 221 medical students who participated in the study, the majority (62.9%) were males with a male: female ratio of 1.7: 1. The age range of the participants was between 19 and 50 years with a mean age of 24.98 ± 3.46. Approximately 96.0% and 68.3% of the study respondents had adequate knowledge of nosocomial infections and adequate knowledge of control measures respectively. The knowledge of these infections and their control measures as well as the practice of these measures were significantly influenced by the age and the academic level of the respondents (p= 0.001). Conclusion: Higher-level medical students appear to be more conversant with the concept of nosocomial infections and their control measures. There is a need to initiate the subject early enough in the school curriculum as well as institute formal training. Establishment of strict rules is also necessary which will guide implementation of nosocomial infection control measures.