Journal - American journal of infection control (United States )

Abstract :

BACKGROUND: Hospital-associated infections are associated with morbidity, extended hospital stay, mortality, and attributable costs to the health care sector. METHODS: A survey of 450 patients admitted to hospitals in Italy determined knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding hospital-associated infections. A face-to-face interview sought information about: patient's sociodemographic characteristics; hospital admissions and examinations; knowledge, understanding, attitudes, and experience of health care-associated infections; and sources for information. RESULTS: Patients who were higher educated, unmarried, first-time admitted, and who have received information about hospital-associated infections were more likely to know definition, risk groups, and risk factors of such infections. Respondents' levels of perceived risk of contracting a hospital-associated infection were significantly higher in those who were married, unemployed, in medical wards, who overestimated the incidence rate, and who believed that health care professionals cannot infect patients. Patients willing to stop a health care worker who is not using gloves and mask were females, higher educated, those who believed that health care professionals can infect patients, who overestimated the incidence rate, who have never been exposed to such infections, who have never had received information, and who do not need information about hospital-associated infections. CONCLUSIONS: Actions aimed at improving knowledge are crucial to the development and implementation of effective public health preventive strategies.

Journal - Vaccine (Netherlands )

Abstract :

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the physician compliance with tetanus prophylaxis and immunization practices for patients with wounds attending Emergency Departments (EDs) of four randomly selected non-academic acute care public hospitals in Italy. METHODS: All presenting patients (> or = 16 years) within randomly selected week periods were studied. Physician and nurse, who were not involved in care, interviewed each patient regarding: socio-demographics, wound characteristics, and tetanus immunization history; they also collected, through direct observation, data of the physician practices for tetanus prophylaxis and immunization. RESULTS: A total of 29.8% patients had a wound tetanus-prone and this was more frequently observed in those lower educated, who arrive at the ED with medical referral during daytime and in the weekday, whose injury occurred outdoor, who had not completed the primary vaccination series or has received a booster dose < or =10 years before, and for a wound in abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremity. Overall, 54% of the physicians recorded for each patient information about the characteristics of the wound and the tetanus immunization history and this was more frequently for those patients traumatized outdoor, injured less than 1h before, when the wound was non-tetanus-prone, and less frequently when the wound site was head and neck. Only 1.5% of the physicians correctly adhere to guidelines on tetanus prophylaxis and immunization in wound management and this more frequently adopted for younger patients' and when the physician recorded information about tetanus immunization history. CONCLUSION: Health policies and programs should be aimed at improving the quality of health care.

Journal - Emerging infectious diseases (United States )