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Background: With the rise in cases of Lassa fever in recent times in West Africa, the healthcare setting continues to pose significant risk especially among healthcare workers (HCWs) for diseases like Lassa fever that are transmitted via contact with blood and other body fluids. We therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of infection prevention and control (IPC) one year after an outbreak of nosocomial transmission of Lassa fever in the study hospital. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of HCWs was conducted in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, a tertiary hospital designated for Lassa fever treatment in southeast Nigeria. A total of 631 HCWs selected by systematic random sampling were surveyed using self-administered questionnaire to determine the KAP of IPC. Data analysis was done with EPI INFO version 7.2 and Microsoft Excel 2016, and Chi square statistic was used to examine relationship between variables at 5% level of significance. Results: Only 287 (51.1%) of the 562 respondent HCWs had good knowledge of IPC, 442 (78.6%) had good attitude towards IPC, and 268 (47.7%) had good practice of IPC. Socio-demographic predictors of IPC knowledge included being a medical laboratory scientist (AOR=0.5; 95% CI=0.29-0.83; p=0.009), tertiary education level (AOR=7.0; 95% CI=1.11-44.60; p=0.038), and work experience of ≥ 7 years (AOR=2.3; 95% CI=1.47-3.57; p<0.001). Male gender (AOR=1.9; 95% CI=1.06-3.42; p=0.031), nurse professional (AOR=6.5; 95% CI=2.67-15.81; p<0.001) and work experience of ≥ 7 years (AOR=2.5; 95% CI=1.37-4.54; p=0.003) were predictors of good attitude towards IPC. Also, nurse professional (AOR=3.1; 95% CI=1.79-5.20; p<0.001) and married status (AOR=1.6; 95% CI=1.05-2.55; p=0.028) were predictors of good practice of IPC among the respondents. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that knowledge and practice of IPC was low in the study location despite the interventions that had been instituted to improve the IPC framework. Therefore, there is need to adapt approaches that will influence behavior change towards IPC in the course of the in-service trainings being conducted in the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) have been recognized as a critical challenge affecting the quality of healthcare services provided. A significant proportion of these infections result from cross-contamination of microorganisms which are often acquired and spread by direct contact with patients or contaminated adjacent environmental surfaces through the hands of healthcare workers (HCWs). The objectives of this study are to profile bacterial pathogens commonly found on the hands of health care workers while routinely attending to patients in the healthcare facility and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Methodology: The fingers of the dominant hand of 300 HCWs at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital (BDTH), Kaduna, Nigeria, were imprinted on 5% Sheep blood, MacConkey, and Mannitol salt agar plates and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Bacteria isolates were identified by Gram staining and conventional biochemical tests. The susceptibility of isolated bacteria to selected antibiotics was determined by the modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and interpreted using the 2012 guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Results: Bacteria were isolated from the hands of all 300 HCWs, with coagulase negative staphylococci (CONS) being the most frequent (67.0%, 201/300). Other bacteria identified were Staphylococcus aureus (23.7%, MRSA of 3%), Streptococcus pyogenes (2.7%), and Enterobacteriaceae (6%). The isolates were highly sensitive to ofloxacin 96.7% (290/300), augmentin 87.7% (263/300) and ceftriaxone 87.3% (262/300). Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high rate of contamination of hands of HCWs with potentially pathogenic bacteria, some of which were multidrug resistant. Concerted efforts should be made to implement programs dedicated to improve hand hygiene practices in the tertiary health care facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]