Comparative Evaluation of the Act of Infection Control Practices among Health-Care-Workers in Edo State, Nigeria: A Multi-site Study

Abstract

Healthcare workers are frequently exposed to blood and body fluids during their regular and daily patient care. These practices tend to expose them to preventable infectious diseases such as Human immunodeficiency virus, Hepatitis B and C viruses. Preventing these exposures through adherence to standard precautions is the most important strategy for minimizing the transmission of infectious diseases in healthcare settings. Objectives: To evaluate the degree to which healthcare professionals at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of health care delivery observe and adhere to established precautionary measures and infection control procedures.  Methods: The cross-sectional and observational study was conducted amongst HCWs working at three levels of health care settings in Edo state, Nigeria. Results: Only less than one–third of the health care workers (HCWs) across all the levels of care had good standard precautions’ practices. Personal protective equipments (hand gloves) were worn all the time during patient care by one hundred and sixty six (66.9%) of the HCWs in the Primary Health Care (PHC) compared to 22(51.2%) and 131(65.2%) reported at the Secondary Health Care (SHC) and Tertiary Health Care (THC) respectively. Conclusion: Generally, there was poor adherence to standard precautions among HCWs at the three levels of health care. These poor practices are a clear indication of regular training on standard precautions and infection control in all healthcare settings. Similarly, For the purpose of examining the availability of infection control supplies and the adherence of healthcare staff to standard procedures, the government must establish an infection control audit committee.