Awareness and Preventive Practices Regarding Hospital-Acquired Infections among Medical Staff in Tertiary Care Hospitals: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study: Preventive Practices Regarding Hospital-Acquired Infections among Medical Staff

Laiba Shahbaz; Yasir Khan

doi:10.54393/pbmj.v9i4.1388

Authors

Laiba Shahbaz Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Yasir Khan Department of Nursing, Medina Comprehensive Hospital, Medina, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v9i4.1388

Keywords:

Cross-infection, Infection Control , Hand Hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health Personnel

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) continue to be a major public health threat, leading to significant morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures worldwide. They have been linked to extended hospital stays and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel are IPC actors because of their regular interactions with patients and protocol implementation responsibilities. Objectives: To assess IPC awareness, adherence to preventive measures, and challenges to effective implementation. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to May 2025 in three private tertiary care hospitals. 220 registered medical staff were administered a validated structured questionnaire consisting of a set of questions related to demographics, knowledge items, self-reported practices, and perceived barriers. SPSS 25 software was used for data processing and descriptive statistics, and Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between awareness and practice scores. Results: The following criteria were applied to classify scores as 'good' (≥75%), 'moderate' (50-74%) or 'poor' (<50%). These thresholds were chosen because they are consistent with the literature and help to compare the results of different studies. Conclusions: There is a significant discrepancy between knowing and doing. We recommend strengthening IPC education, systematic competency audits, and policy adjustments to ease workload and strengthen institutional support for IPC to enhance awareness and preventive practices among Medical Staff.

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