Perceptions of seniors toward nosocomial infections at College of medicine Babylon

Abstract EN

Background : This study assessed knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of medical students toward nosocomial infections, in addition to, evaluation Curriculum through advising information of some items regarding HCAIs (Healthcare-associated infections) from which the medical students received their knowledge during college's study.

Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out on the final year medical students from College of Medicine, which included (106) students, at University of Babylon (Babil-Iraq) in 2013.An anonymous questionnaire consisted of four sections, with 30 items.

Students’ knowledge section was designed to explore students' knowledge toward nosocomial infections, while another section was designed to gather information about student's behavior, to explore student attitudes toward precautionary guidelines and perception of the risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections by multiples questions and to evaluate advising information of some items on healthcare-associated infections for students.

The Chi-square test was used for significance, a P-value (< 0.05) is considered statistically significant and p < 0.01 is considered highly significant.

Results : The study showed the overall average of the medical students' knowledge was (68.34 %) about healthcareassociated infections, however, the knowledge regarding specific areas was weak, particularly concerning the risk of transmission of infection to the hospital personnel (41.5 %) and stethoscopeas a potential source of infections (43.86 %).

In general, their behaviors were adequate (69.38 %) to reduce the risk of infections, whereas, wearing protective materials when contact with patient sometimes were only (49.06 %) of them do that.

Generally the attitudes were positive (68.68 %).

Females had (48.87 %) better attitudes than males (19.81 %).

Advising information about some items of healthcare-associated infectionsare generally acceptable (50, 65 %), however, about (39.62 %) of the students sometimes have been advised toward safety intravenous inserted devices and only (22.16 %) of them have been advised about stethoscope cleaning.

Conclusions : The students have adequate knowledge, positive attitudes and adequate behaviors to reduce nosocomial infections ; however, advising information about some items of healthcare-associated infectionswas generally acceptable.

These findings emphasize the need of stressing on education about this sort of infections in the health care curricula.