Internal Medicine: Open Access
Open Access
ISSN: 2165-8048
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2165-8048
+44 1300 500008
Truong Anh Thu, Nguyen QuocAnh, Ngo QuyChau and Nguyen Viet Hung
Introduction: Standard and isolation precautions may prevent healthcare-associated infections, which have been associated with poor clinical outcomes, increased medical costs and depletion of available infection prevention and control resources. Few published articles have included data about knowledge of attitude, toward the practices of infection control and prevention in developing countries.
Objectives: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding the standard and isolation precautions among healthcare workers in 36 hospitals across Vietnam.
Study design: Cross-sectional survey Methods: During 2008 to 2009, a total of 629 healthcare workers were randomly selected and interviewed using a standardized questionnaire.
Results: The percentage score for knowledge of and attitude toward standard and isolation precautions were acceptable: 79.1% for knowledge and 70.0% for attitude. Physicians had the lowest level of attitude. The low percentage score for practice was recorded, only 46.1% of the maximum score. HCWs from National (49.6%) and Provincial hospitals (46.9%) obtained higher percentage score compared to those from district level hospitals (39.8%) (p<0.05). After adjusting for covariates by using linear regression analyses, we found that HCWs who had higher scores of knowledge were more likely to be obtained higher scores of practices and HCWs with a correct attitude were also more likely to have reported correct practices. There was a medium correlation between practices, knowledge and attitude regarding standard and isolation precautions (r=0.56, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Our findings highlighted the need for continuing intensive education combined with strict supervision of healthcare workers compliance and provision of basic facilities for standard and isolation precautions in Vietnamese hospitals.