Prevention of nosocomial infections and standard precautions: knowledge and practice among radiographers in Sri Lanka

Nosocomial infection is an infection if it becomes positive 48 hours or more after admission to the hospital or within 30 days of discharge. Health care workers can be a major source of vectors for pathogens. Nowadays, interventional radiology and other radiological imaging modalities have undergone vast development and the tendency for accidental exposure to blood and other infectious pathogens are on the increase. Therefore, all the health care works are expected to follow the standard precautions to prevent accidental injuries during the service. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge and the practice of radiographers on nosocomial infection control and standard precautions. A postal survey was conducted to all registered practicing radiographers in Sri Lanka. A pre-designed, pre-tested, anonymous self-administered, structured questionnaire was circulated among radiographers and for each correct answer one point was assigned. In the knowledge section scores < 25%, 25% - 50%, 51%- 75 %, and > 75% were considered as weak, moderate, good, and excellent knowledge, respectively. In the practice section scores < 50%, 50% - 75% and > 75 % was considered as bad moderate and good practice, respectively. The good practice was considered as professional practice for the clinical radiology units. Data entry, management and analysis were carried out using MS excel and SPSS statistical software package. The total response rate was 37.9 %. The mean overall age of the respondents was 30 to 39 years and males composed (72.3%) the majority of study population. Most of the respondents (84.98 %) were qualified as diploma radiographers and 78.87 % of the respondents were practicing in government hospitals. More than half (51.6%) of the respondents have worked for < 10 years and 93.4% have never attended any occupational training program regarding infection control. Majority (43.19%) of the respondents have scored 50% from the total knowledge score and more than half (73.2%) believed that the environment is the major source for nosocomial infections. There was no association between the knowledge and the education levels or knowledge between the years of practice (p< 0.05). The highest recorded score for practice was 66.66%. More than half of the respondents (53.5%) washed their hands infrequently, before touching the patients but 51.2% washed their hands frequently after touching the patients and every clinical exposure. 11.7% respondents never wear a mask or a respirator when there is a potential to be exposed to infectious aerosols. No association between the infection control practice and the education levels or the infection control practice between the years of practice (p< 0.05) was identified. This study reveals that the radiographers' knowledge and practice regarding nosocomial infections and standard precautions were moderate.