Abstract

CUELLAR P. DE L, Luis; ROSALES C, Rosa  and  AQUINO R, Florentino. Eficacia de un programa educativo para la prevención y el control de infecciones intrahospitalarias en el Instituto Especializado de Enfermedades Neoplásicas, Lima, Perú. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica [online]. 2004, vol.20, n.1, pp.37-43. ISSN 1726-4634.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of an educational intervention for prevention and control of nosocomial infections performed in healthcare workers from the Instituto Especializado de Enfermedades Neoplásicas (INEN) in Lima. Material and methods: We assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices of 378 (45,6%) healthcare workers randomly chosen and stratified them according to their professional group before and after the implementation of an educational program about general measures for preventing and controlling nosocomial infections. Results: After the intervention, the rate of healthcare workers with a poor knowledge was reduced from 53,2% to 39,7% and a positive attitude towards the course and programs for control and prevention of nosocomial infections increased from 87,8% to 99,2%. There was also an increase in compliance of good practices: from 5,6% to 37,0% in the case of hand washing, from 33,9% to 53,2% concerning a suitable hand washing technique, from 33,3% to 49,2% in the case of suitable asepses technique, and from 37% to 59% with respect to a suitable isolation technique. These trends were similar for all professions. Conclusion: The implementation of an educational program led to an increase in knowledge and positive attitudes, as well as in compliance of good practices for the prevention and control of nosocomial infections in healthcare workers from the Peruvian National Cancer Institute.

Keywords : Cross Infection/prevention and control; Health Personnel; Security Measures; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Peru.