Assessing Adherence to Standard Infection Control Guidelines at Murchison Bay Hospital, Kampala.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Health Care Workers (HCWs) are potentially exposed to infections while performing their duties. Standard Infection control guidelines are regarded as an effective means of protecting HCWs, patients, and the public, thus reducing hospital acquired infections (Wang H et al,2003). Objective: To assess adherence to standard infection control guidelines at Murchison Bay Hospital, Kampala. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of 167 health workers were enrolled between August 2015 to November 2015 and these health workers were working at Murchison Bay Hospital. Information was collected concerning the health workers’ social demographics, knowledge of health workers regarding standard infection control guidelines, health workers’ practices, and the hospital capacity to ensure adherence to standard infection guidelines. Data was entered in EPIDATA and analyzed in STATA Version 10. Results: The results of the study revealed that 74.64% (133/167). of the respondents adhered to universal precautions infection control practices. In this study, there was a statistically significant association (OR, 8.5, P=0.002; 95% CI, 1.67-4.35) the health workers who were trained were 8.5 times more likely to adhere to the set guidelines. There was also a statistically significant association between the health workers that wash hands after taking off gloves (OR, 21.92, P=0.012; 95% CI, 1.98-24.2). These health workers were 21.92 times more likely to adhere than their counterparts. This study also found that documentation of routine disinfection procedures has a statistically significant association (OR, 16.02, P=0.012; 95%CI, 1.84-13.92). These health workers were 16.02 times more likely to adhere to standard infection control guidelines.

Conclusions and Recommendations: This study found out that health care workers’ training on Standard infection control guidelines, hand hygiene and documentation of routine disinfection procedures are predictors of health workers’ adherence to standard infection control guidelines thus the need to prioritize budgets for facilitating the above and schedule training courses for the health workers on Standard Infection Control Guidelines periodically at-least every quarter of the financial year to boost health workers knowledge there-by increasing adherence levels.