Introduction: Sound knowledge, good infection-control practices and attitude by all categories of healthcare staff in theatre is mandatory to reduce post-surgical infections.
Methodology: A questionnaire, based on National Infection-Control Manual was developed to assess knowledge, practice and attitudes of randomly selected theatre staff, senior and junior surgical doctors, sisters, nurses, attendants and labourers, was scored and analyzed.
Results: All 109 participants were aware of the preventability of post-surgical infections, but 12(11%) were not aware of correct infection-control practices. Scores awarded for translation of knowledge into practice were statistically insignificant (p>0.05) among all categories of healthcare staff. Knowledge and practice between different groups of healthcare staff was also statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Participants obtained an average score of 60% for their knowledge and practice.
Discussion: This study was done among the 17 theaters of different specialties, of a 3300 bed tertiary-care institution. Given the complexity of the institution, number of theatres and surgeries performed, the awareness by all categories of staff on the seriousness of post-surgical infections and its preventability by good infection-control practices is encouraging. Adequate knowledge in infection-control practices, and translation of that knowledge into practice and correct attitudes demonstrated by all categories of staff indicate the success of educational programs and monitoring by microbiologists, infection-control nurses, surgical and other staff including administration. These efforts have to be further strengthened to increase the infection-control knowledge and practice score above 60%, in furtherance of, reducing post-surgical infection rate of 9.43% in this institute as per published study, abstract #107, APSIC 2009.