Infection Prevention and Control Practices at a Tertiary Care Centre in New Delhi

Background: Infection prevention and control is a domain of public health that is universally applicable to healthcare professionals as well as patients, at every healthcare interaction. It is the most credible approach to prevent the transmission of infections and associated hazards. HAI is a significant problem, but prevention strategies are effective and cheap, with training programs being easy to plan and implement in almost every variety of clinical setting, yielding an encouraging cost-benefit ratio, thus pointing to the vitality of KAP amongst HCWs. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of healthcare workers regarding infection prevention and control towards minimizing the risk of healthcare associated infections. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted from November 2023 to October 2024 at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi. The study population consisted of all healthcare workers (resident doctors and nurses) working in the Neonatology Department. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the KAP of the HCWs. Result: The majority of HCWs demonstrated good to excellent knowledge scores, excellent attitude scores and excellent practice scores. Only a minor proportion had average or below average knowledge score, with nursing staff demonstrating lower overall performance than resident doctors. A significant association was observed between years of experience and knowledge (p= 0.046) and between position held and knowledge (p=0.009), but not with attitude and practice. Significant barriers to IPC included lack of time and insufficient supplies. Empirical treatment was the main rationale behind antibiotic prescription. Conclusion: Most HCWs had satisfactory scores, with the overall KAP scores being highest for senior residents, followed by junior residents and nurses. Lack of time was the primary barrier to IPC.