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Boltena MT, Wolde M, Hailu B, El-Khatib Z, Steck V, Woldegerima S, Siraneh Y, Morankar S. Point prevalence of evidence-based antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12652. [PMID: 38825623 PMCID: PMC11144712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive and improper use of antibiotics causes antimicrobial resistance which is a major threat to global health security. Hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the highest prevalence of antibiotic use. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled point prevalence (PPP) of evidence-based antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients in SSA. Literature was retrieved from CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA version 17. Forest plots using the random-effect model were used to present the findings. The heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using the I2 statistics and Egger's test. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO with code CRD42023404075. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A total of 26, 272 study participants reported by twenty-eight studies published from 10 countries in SSA were included. The pooled point prevalence of antimicrobial use in SSA were 64%. The pooled estimate of hospital wards with the highest antibiotic use were intensive care unit (89%). The pooled prevalence of the most common clinical indication for antibiotic use were community acquired infection (41%). The pooled point prevalence of antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients were higher in SSA. Higher use of antibiotics was recorded in intensive care units. Community acquired infection were most common clinical case among hospitalized patients. Health systems in SSA must design innovative digital health interventions to optimize clinicians adhere to evidence-based prescribing guidelines and improve antimicrobial stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyahil Tadesse Boltena
- Ethiopian Evidence Based Health Care Centre: A Joanna Briggs Institute's Center of Excellence, Faculty of Public Health, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Mirkuzie Wolde
- Ethiopian Evidence Based Health Care Centre: A Joanna Briggs Institute's Center of Excellence, Faculty of Public Health, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Belachew Hailu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ziad El-Khatib
- Global Public Health Department, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - Veronika Steck
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Selam Woldegerima
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yibeltal Siraneh
- Ethiopian Evidence Based Health Care Centre: A Joanna Briggs Institute's Center of Excellence, Faculty of Public Health, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Sudhakar Morankar
- Ethiopian Evidence Based Health Care Centre: A Joanna Briggs Institute's Center of Excellence, Faculty of Public Health, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
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Abubakar U, Salman M. Antibiotic Use Among Hospitalized Patients in Africa: A Systematic Review of Point Prevalence Studies. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:1308-1329. [PMID: 37157014 PMCID: PMC10166031 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01610-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is paucity of data describing the rate and quality indices of antibiotics used among hospitalized patients at continental level in Africa. This systematic review evaluated the pooled prevalence, indications, and types of antibiotics used in hospitals across Africa. METHODS Three electronic databases, PubMed, Scopus, and African Journals Online (AJOL), were searched using search terms. Point prevalence studies of antibiotic use in inpatient settings published in English language from January 2010 to November 2022 were considered for selection. Additional articles were identified by checking the reference list of selected articles. RESULTS Of the 7254 articles identified from the databases, 28 eligible articles involving 28 studies were selected. Most of the studies were from Nigeria (n = 9), Ghana (n = 6), and Kenya (n = 4). Overall, the prevalence of antibiotic use among hospitalized patients ranged from 27.6 to 83.5% with higher prevalence in West Africa (51.4-83.5%) and North Africa (79.1%) compared to East Africa (27.6-73.7%) and South Africa (33.6-49.7%). The ICU (64.4-100%; n = 9 studies) and the pediatric medical ward (10.6-94.6%; n = 13 studies) had the highest prevalence of antibiotic use. Community-acquired infections (27.7-61.0%; n = 19 studies) and surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) (14.6-45.3%; n = 17 studies) were the most common indications for antibiotic use. The duration of SAP was more than 1 day in 66.7 to 100% of the cases. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics included ceftriaxone (7.4-51.7%; n = 14 studies), metronidazole (14.6-44.8%; n = 12 studies), gentamicin (n = 8 studies; range: 6.6-22.3%), and ampicillin (n = 6 studies; range: 6.0-29.2%). The access, watch, and reserved group of antibiotics accounted for 46.3-97.9%, 1.8-53.5%, and 0.0-5.0% of antibiotic prescriptions, respectively. The documentation of the reason for antibiotic prescription and date for stop/review ranged from 37.3 to 100% and 19.6 to 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION The point prevalence of antibiotic use among hospitalized patients in Africa is relatively high and varied between the regions in the continent. The prevalence was higher in the ICU and pediatric medical ward compared to the other wards. Antibiotics were most commonly prescribed for community-acquired infections and for SAP with ceftriaxone, metronidazole, and gentamicin being the most common antibiotics prescribed. Antibiotic stewardship is recommended to address excessive use of SAP and to reduce high rate of antibiotic prescribing in the ICU and pediatric ward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Abubakar
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Muhammad Salman
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan
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Bunduki GK, Masoamphambe E, Fox T, Musaya J, Musicha P, Feasey N. Prevalence, risk factors, and antimicrobial resistance of endemic healthcare-associated infections in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:158. [PMID: 38302895 PMCID: PMC10836007 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09038-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) place a significant burden on healthcare systems globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and aetiologic agents of endemic HCAI in Africa. METHODS MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, and Global Health databases (EBSCOhost interface) were searched for studies published in English and French describing HCAI in Africa from 2010 to 2022. We extracted data on prevalence of HCAI, risk factors, aetiologic agents, and associated antimicrobial resistance patterns. We used random-effects models to estimate parameter values with 95% confidence intervals for risk factors associated with HCAI. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022374559) and followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. RESULTS Of 2541 records screened, 92 were included, comprising data from 81,968 patients. Prevalence of HCAI varied between 1.6 and 90.2% with a median of 15% across studies. Heterogeneity (I2) varied from 93 to 99%. Contaminated wound (OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.31-2.19), long hospital stay (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 0.92-1.80), urinary catheter (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.35-2.78), intubation and ventilation (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 0.85-2.22), vascular catheters (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.52-2.45) were among risk factors associated with HCAI. Bacteria reported from included studies comprised 6463 isolates, with E. coli (18.3%, n = 1182), S. aureus (17.3%, n = 1118), Klebsiella spp. (17.2%, n = 1115), Pseudomonas spp. (10.3%, n = 671), and Acinetobacter spp. (6.8%, n = 438) being most common. Resistance to multiple antibiotics was common; 70.3% (IQR: 50-100) of Enterobacterales were 3rd -generation cephalosporin resistant, 70.5% (IQR: 58.8-80.3) of S. aureus were methicillin resistant and 55% (IQR: 27.3-81.3) Pseudomonas spp. were resistant to all agents tested. CONCLUSIONS HCAI is a greater problem in Africa than other regions, however, there remains a paucity of data to guide local action. There is a clear need to develop and validate sustainable HCAI definitions in Africa to support the implementation of routine HCAI surveillance and inform implementation of context appropriate infection prevention and control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Kambale Bunduki
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
- Centre d'Excellence en Maladies Infectieuses et Soins Critiques du Graben (CEMISoCG), Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique du Graben, Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
| | - Effita Masoamphambe
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tilly Fox
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Janelisa Musaya
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Patrick Musicha
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nicholas Feasey
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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Satria YAA, Utami MS, Prasudi A. Prevalence of antibiotics prescription amongst patients with and without COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pathog Glob Health 2023; 117:437-449. [PMID: 36562085 PMCID: PMC10262768 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2022.2160892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a substantial risk to public health. In low-income and middle-income (LMICs) nations, the impact of AMR is significantly more severe. The absence of data from low-income countries (LMICs) causes this topic to be frequently overlooked. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic could make the AMR issue even worse. Earlier guidelines recommended antibiotic use in patients with COVID-19, even in those without bacterial coinfection. This study aims to investigate the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions in LMICs among patients with and without coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), the proportion of inappropriate antibiotics, and multi-antibiotic prescribing. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). We retrieved data through online databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Amongst COVID-19 patients, the meta-analytic estimate of antibiotic prescription was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.72-0.88), whereas antibiotic use among patients with non-COVID-19 infections was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.49-0.58). Half of those prescribed antibiotics (0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.72) are inappropriate prescriptions. In addition, we found that one-third of antibiotics prescriptions consisted of more than one antibiotic (0.32, 95% CI: 0.21-0.43). In conclusion, antibiotics are highly prescribed across LMICs, and their use is increased in patients with COVID-19. Amongst those prescriptions, inappropriate and multiple use was not uncommon. This study has several limitations, as it included two studies in an ambulatory setting, and some of the studies included in the analysis were conducted on a small scale. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that urgent action to improve prescribing practices is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica Suci Utami
- Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sleman, Indonesia
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Sheikh Omar NM, Erismis B, Muse Osman M, Garba B, Hassan MA, Akuku IG. Retrospective Evaluation of Nosocomial Bacterial Infections and Their Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns Among Hospitalized Patients in Mogadishu, Somalia. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:705-720. [PMID: 36756609 PMCID: PMC9900145 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s398387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nosocomial infection constitutes a significant public health challenge globally, with resource-limited countries bearing the greatest burden. Sadly, the emergence of drug-resistant strains of these pathogens have worsened the already precarious situation. Methods This study aimed to determine the incidence of nosocomial infections, the causative agents, and their antimicrobial susceptibilities among patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. The study included patients who had positive cultures 48 hours after admission. Abstracted data include the patient's demographic, infection outcome, the agents involved, and the site of infection. Results A total of 330 patients were found to have acquired nosocomial infection, comprising 100 (30%) patients from the ICU department. The median age for the patients in this study was 36 years. Patients who died of all-cause mortality were older than those discharged. Most of the bacteria were collected from sepsis/bloodstream infections (34%) dominated by Staphylococcus aureus (42.1%), Acinetobacter baumannii (14.0%), Escherichia coli (14.0%), and Klebsiella spp. (7.0%). Urinary tract infections were mainly associated with Escherichia coli (37.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (18.8%), and Klebsiella spp. 50% of all microorganisms were multidrug-resistant. Conclusion The findings of this study suggested that hospital infection control and prevention strategies need to be strengthened to improve the quality of care among hospitalized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasteho Mohamed Sheikh Omar
- University of Health Sciences Turkey, Mogadishu Somalia-Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia
| | - Betul Erismis
- University of Health Sciences, Bakirkoy Dr Sadi Konuk Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Marian Muse Osman
- University of Health Sciences Turkey, Mogadishu Somalia-Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia
| | - Bashiru Garba
- Dr Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, 2526, Somalia,Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria
| | - Mohamed Abdulahi Hassan
- Dr Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, 2526, Somalia,Correspondence: Mohamed Abdulahi Hassan, Tel + 252 61 5987780, Email
| | - Isaiah G Akuku
- Institutes of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
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Mengistu DA, Alemu A, Abdukadir AA, Mohammed Husen A, Ahmed F, Mohammed B. Incidence of Urinary Tract Infection Among Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. INQUIRY : A JOURNAL OF MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION AND FINANCING 2023; 60:469580231168746. [PMID: 37096884 PMCID: PMC10134187 DOI: 10.1177/00469580231168746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare-associated infection is one of the most common and severe threats to patients' health and remains a significant challenge for healthcare providers. Among healthcare-associated infections, urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections. This study aimed to determine the global incidence of UTI among patients. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline was used to perform this systematic review and meta-analysis. The articles were searched from April 4 to August 5, 2022, from electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, DOAJ, and MedNar) using Boolean logic operators, MeSH terms, and keywords. The quality of the study was assessed using the JBI Critical Assessment tool. One thousand nine ninety three articles were retrieved from the electronic databases, of which 38 articles conducted on 981 221 patients were included in the current study. The study found the global pooled incidence of UTI accounted for 1.6%. Based on the subgroup analysis by survey period and WHO region, the highest incidence of UTI was reported in the African Region [3.6%] and among studies conducted between 1996 and 2001 [3.7%]. This study revealed the overall pooled incidence of UTI was 1.6%. The highest incidence of UTI (3.6%) was reported in the African region. This indicates that there is a need to implement safety measures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Addisu Alemu
- Haramaya University College of Health and Medical Science, Harar, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Fila Ahmed
- Haramaya University College of Health and Medical Science, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Baredin Mohammed
- Haramaya University College of Health and Medical Science, Harar, Ethiopia
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Abubakar U, Amir O, Rodríguez-Baño J. Healthcare-associated infections in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of point prevalence studies. J Pharm Policy Pract 2022; 15:99. [PMID: 36494700 PMCID: PMC9733066 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-022-00500-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited data to describe the point-prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) among patients at a regional level in Africa. This study estimated the pooled prevalence of HAIs and described the distribution of HAIs as well as the pathogens identified from African studies. METHODS PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases were searched to find point-prevalence studies of HAIs in Africa. Studies conducted in Humans that reported the prevalence of HAIs among hospitalized patients and published in English language from January 2010 to March 2022 were selected. Longitudinal studies of HAIs and unpublished studies were excluded. The reference list of the selected studies was checked to find additional studies. A meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and the pooled prevalence of HAIs was determined using a random effect model. RESULTS Of the 6094 articles identified from the databases, fifteen eligible articles were selected. The studies were conducted in the North, South, East and West African regions with Tunisia (n = 4) and South Africa (n = 2) having the highest number of studies. Most of the studies (n = 12, 80.0%) had good quality. The pooled prevalence of HAIs was 12.76% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.30-15.23) with a high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 90.0%). The prevalence of HAIs varied between wards with the highest rate found in the ICU (25.2%-100%), followed by neonatal ICU/ward (7.0%-53.6%) and paediatric medical ward (2.7%-33.0%). Surgical site infection was the most common HAIs and accounted for 41.6% of all HAIs (95% CI 23.55-59.80), followed by bloodstream infection (17.07%, 95% CI 11.80-22.33) and respiratory tract infections/pneumonia (17.04%, 95% CI 13.21-20.87). Recent hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 4.17, 95% CI 1.85-9.41), presence of peripheral vascular catheter (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI 1.54-5.36) and having diabetes mellitus (AOR: 2.46, 95% CI 1.45-4.17) were the strongest predictors of HAIs in Africa. Only 37.9% of HAIs had documented positive microbiological culture result with gram negative bacteria including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Citrobacter been the most common microorganisms and accounted for 40%-100% of the pathogens. CONCLUSIONS The pooled point-prevalence of HAIs in Africa is more than two times higher than the rate reported in developed countries. The prevalence varied between the countries and was highest in the ICU and neonatal ICU/ward. Surgical site infection and bloodstream infection were the most common HAIs reported in African studies. Recent hospitalization, presence of peripheral vascular catheter and having diabetes mellitus were the strongest predictors of HAIs in African studies. Most of the HAIs are preventable with appropriate infection control measures and antimicrobial stewardship. Additional studies are needed especially in the Central African region. Future studies should be designed using standardized protocol and standardized definition to reduce heterogeneity among the studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Abubakar
- grid.11875.3a0000 0001 2294 3534Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Omalhassan Amir
- grid.442398.00000 0001 2191 0036Department of Clinical Pharmacy, International University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Jesús Rodríguez-Baño
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Division, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBiS)/CSIC, University of Seville, Seville, Spain ,grid.413448.e0000 0000 9314 1427CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Nzanga M, Panulo M, Morse T, Chidziwisano K. Adherence to Hand Hygiene among Nurses and Clinicians at Chiradzulu District Hospital, Southern Malawi. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191710981. [PMID: 36078689 PMCID: PMC9518139 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are a burden in many countries especially low-income countries due to poor hand hygiene practices in the healthcare settings. Proper hand hygiene in the healthcare setting is an effective way of preventing and reducing HAIs, and is an integral component of infection prevention and control. The objective of this study was to determine adherence to hand hygiene guidelines and associated factors among nurses and clinicians. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted at Chiradzulu District Hospital (Malawi) where stratified random sampling was used to obtain the sample of 75 nurses and clinicians. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires (n = 75), observation checklists (n = 7) and structured observations (n = 566). The study findings confirmed low adherence to hand hygiene practice among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Malawi. Overall, higher hand hygiene practices were reported than observed among nurses and clinicians in all the World Health Organization's (WHO) five critical moments of hand hygiene. This calls on the need for a combination of infrastructure, consumables (e.g., soap) and theory driven behavior change interventions to influence adoption of the recommended hand hygiene behaviors. However, such interventions should not include demographic factors (i.e., age, profession and ward) as they have been proven not to influence hand hygiene performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Nzanga
- Department of Environmental Health, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Private Bag 303, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
| | - Mindy Panulo
- Centre for Water, Sanitation, Health and Appropriate Technology Development (WASHTED), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Private Bag 303, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
| | - Tracy Morse
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
| | - Kondwani Chidziwisano
- Department of Environmental Health, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Private Bag 303, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
- Centre for Water, Sanitation, Health and Appropriate Technology Development (WASHTED), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Private Bag 303, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
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