Infection prevention and control practices among healthcare workers at basic health units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using the WHO infection prevention and control assessment framework (WHO-IPCAF)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59736/IJP.23.04.1001Keywords:
Aseptic Techniques, Hand Hygiene, Healthcare Workers, Infection Control, Medical Waste Disposal, Personal Protective EquipmentAbstract
Background: BHUs are pivotal healthcare centers in rural areas, but their Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices have remained largely unexplored. Our study assessed IPC compliance in a cohort of HCWs working in BHUs of Peshawar.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from June ‘23 to January ‘24 among 15 BHUs in Peshawar, using a simple random technique. One hundred five HCWs were surveyed using a WHO-IPCAF assessment tool with domains of hand hygiene practices, personal protective equipment usage, aseptic practices, and medical waste management. Infection control compliance was measured using a three-point Likert scale and classified into high (2.5-3) or poor (<2) with moderate in between. SPSS analysis software, version 23, was used to both descriptively and inferentially analyze the results with chi-square tests.
Results: Aseptic procedures and waste management had good levels of compliance with high scores of 2.78-3.00, with very good performance in using sterile needles at 99% and discarding sharps at 100%. Hand washing was a poor practice with a very low percentage of 14.3% washing hands before patient interaction with a score of 1.71. Use of PPE had a moderate level with a score of 1.87-2.73, with a lower level of mask usage at 23.8%. There were strong correlations with increased levels of compliance with IPC training with a significance level of p=0.004, whereas gender, age, education, and experience had zero correlations with significance level p > 0.05.
Conclusion: Although BHUs in Peshawar have strengths in aseptic procedures and waste management, observed deficiencies in hand hygiene practices and personal protective equipment usage emphasize the necessity for focused efforts in these areas. Integrated interventions such as enhanced training in infection control practices and availability of resources can improve patient safety and lowers the hospital-acquired infections.
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