DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i07.013

Pages: 2368-2371

Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospital based settings; with nosocomial infections and their control creating a world-wide challenge. This also adds to the burden of healthcare costs due to added antimicrobial treatment and prolonged hospitalization. Para medical staff, especially nurses is at great risk of exposure to blood and body fluids and other means of spread of infection. This study was conducted to access knowledge, attitude and practice regarding universal precautions among the nursing staff of one of the tertiary care hospital and to identify various hurdles to fulfill the same. A self-administered structure study instrument was used to determine knowledge, attitude and practice of Universal Precaution among nursing staff of one of the tertiary care hospitals of Western India. The study included 52 nursing staff from various department of hospital including Specialty and super specialty departments. It was noted that only 85% of the nursing staff was given training of universal health precaution. Knowledge regarding HIV was satisfactory; all the nurses knew the mode of transmission of HIV. Most important and the basic thing in the prevention of infection is hand washing; knowledge regarding which was seen in all the nurses, however, compliance to hand washing was found only in 40% nurses. Low compliance of hand hygiene, lack of training, heavy workloads, underuse of personal protective equipment’s are major obstacles in preventing infection and spread of multi-drug resistant pathogens.