Knowledge, attitude, and performance of medical staff of teaching healthcare settings about hepatitis B and C in Isfahan, Iran

Authors
Behrooz Ataei 1
Mohsen Meidani 1
Maryam Khosravi 2
Farzin Khorvash 3
Mojtaba Akbari 4
1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, India
2 School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, India
3 Nosocomical Infection Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, India
4 Epidemiologist, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, India
Abstract
Background: hospital personnel are at high risk of exposure, infection, and transmission of viral hepatitis. The present study aimed at investigating the knowledge, attitude, and performance of health service providers to provide them with the information required for their educational promotion on viral hepatitis.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 staff of the forenamed healthcare settings such as on nurses, midwives, licensed practical nurses, and lab officials in Isfahan, Iran, in 2012. A checklist including demographic data and questions associated with the knowledge (18 questions), attitude (4 questions), and performance (15 questions) on hepatitis B and C was completed by the participants.
Results: A total of 388 participants completed the checklist. Participants' knowledge on the ways of transmission, prevalence, vaccination, and prevention methods was moderate (total score = 58.56 ± 10.1 percent) and the attitude was generally positive. Proper vaccination was carried out by 81.4% of the participants. Accidental injury by a needle was reported in 47.7% of the participants, but only 37.6% of them reported it to higher authorities and of them only 13.7% received appropriate treatment. Only 44.3% and 11.6% of participants reported always using gloves and masks, respectively, and 58.8% of the staff covered the needle cap before transferring it to the safety box.
Conclusions: Due to excessive contact with patients, a paramedic-educated society is expected to have an optimal level of knowledge, attitude, and performance related to viral hepatitis. Our results from the checklists showed that medical personnel are not appropriately aware of viral hepatitis and their performance, too, is not satisfactory. Further continuous training is required and there needs to be more emphasis on actions regarding behaviors with high risk of infection transmission.

Keywords

1.
The global alliance for vaccines and immunization. Hepatitis B [database on the Internet] 2006. Available from: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/81/10/Drain1003.pdf. [Last accessed on 2012 Sept 07].  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Pol S, Vallet-Pichard A, Corouge M, Mallet VO. Hepatitis C: Epidemiology, diagnosis, natural history and therapy. Contrib Nephrol 2012;176:1-9.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Alavian SM, Hajarizadeh B, Ahmadzad-Asl M, Kabir A, Bagheri-Lankarani K. Hepatitis B Virus infection in Iran: A systematic review. Hepat Mon 2008;8:281-94.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Alavian SM. Hepatitis C infection in Iran: A review article. Iran J Clin Infect Dis 2009;4:47-59.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
Ghorbani GA, Alavian SM, Ghadimi HR. Long term effects of one or two doses of hepatitis B vaccine in adults after five years. Pak J Biol Sci 2008;11:660-3.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Shiva F, Sanaei A, Shamshiri AR, Ghotbi F. Survey of needle-stick injuries in paediatric health personnel of 5 university hospitals in Tehran. J Pak Med Assoc 2011;61:127-31.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.
Galougahi MH. Evaluation of needle stick injuries among nurses of Khanevadeh Hospital in Tehran. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2010;15:172-7.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.
Askarian M, Malekmakan L, Memish ZA, Assadian O. Prevalence of needle stick injuries among dental, nursing and midwifery students in Shiraz, Iran. GMS Krankenhhyg Interdiszip 2012;7:Doc05.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.
Mohammadi N, Allami A, Malek Mohamadi R. Percutaneous exposure incidents in nurses: Knowledge, practice and exposure to hepatitis B infection: Percutaneous exposure incidents in nurses. Hepat Mon 2011;11:186-90.  Back to cited text no. 9
    
10.
Nazari M, PAK GM, Babaee G, Granmaieh M. A comparative study of knowledge and universal precaution in preventing hepatitis B among midwives and midwifery's students in some medical science university hospitals in Tehran 2002. J Med Coun Islamic Republic Iran 2006;24:165.  Back to cited text no. 10
    
11.
Moghimi M, Marashi SA, Kabir A, Taghipour HR, Faghihi-Kashani AH, Ghoddoosi I, et al. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian surgeons about blood-borne diseases. J Surg Res 2009;151:80-4.  Back to cited text no. 11
    
12.
Kakoei S, Sheibani G, Mohammad Alizadeh S. Awareness and practice of Kerman dentists about B-hepatitis, 2004. J Dent Sch 2007;25:66-72.  Back to cited text no. 12
    
13.
Kabir A, Tabatabaei SV, Khaleghi S, Agah S, Faghihi Kashani AH, Moghimi M, et al. Knowledge, attitudes and practice of Iranian medical specialists regarding hepatitis B and C. Hepat Mon 2010;10:176-182.  Back to cited text no. 13
    
14.
Puro V, De Carli G, Cicalini S, Soldani F, Balslev U, Begovac J, et al. European recommendations for the management of healthcare workers occupationally exposed to hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Euro Surveill 2005;10:260-4.  Back to cited text no. 14
    
15.
Jokar F, Mansour-Ghanaei F, Soati F, Meskinkhoda P. Knowledge levels and attitudes of health care professionals toward patients with hepatitis C infection. World J Gastroenterol 2012;18:2238-44.  Back to cited text no. 15
    
16.
Azadi A, Anoosheh M, Delpisheh A. Frequency and barriers of underreported needlestick injuries amongst Iranian nurses: A questionnaire survey. J Clin Nurs 2011;20:488-93.  Back to cited text no. 16
    
17.
Ghannad MS, Majzoobi MM, Ghavimi M, Mirzaei M. Needlestick and sharp object injuries among health care workers in Hamadan Province, Iran. J Emerg Nurs 2012;38:171-5.  Back to cited text no. 17
    
18.
Askarian M, Shaghaghian S, McLaws ML. Needlestick injuries among nurses of Fars province, Iran. Ann Epidemiol 2007;17:988-92.  Back to cited text no. 18
Advanced Biomedical Research
Volume 2014, December
December 2014
Pages 1-5