       Document 0717
 DOCN  M9640717
 TI    AIDS: awareness and blood handling practices of health care workers in
       Lagos, Nigeria.
 DT    9604
 AU    Odujinrin OM; Adegoke OA; Department of Community Health, College of
       Medicine, University; of Lagos, Nigeria.
 SO    Eur J Epidemiol. 1995 Aug;11(4):425-30. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96058559
 AB    A questionnaire survey of 260 health care workers from 13 randomly
       selected health care facilities was undertaken. Their knowledge,
       attitude, belief and blood handling practices regarding HIV/AIDS were
       enquired about. Virtually all (99.0%) respondents had heard about AIDS
       but only 57.0% had seen an AIDS patient before. Although 83.0% knew that
       AIDS is caused by a virus, a high proportion still confuses mode of
       transmission with causative agent. Deficient knowledge was exhibited
       when asked about groups of people who were at a higher risk of
       contracting HIV and AIDS: Only 54.6% and 51.5% identified homosexuals
       and i.v. drug users as being at a higher risk. Almost all (97.0%) of our
       respondents claimed to have been more careful in their blood handling
       practices since the emergence of AIDS, 68.5% wore gloves for all
       procedures involving handling of blood and 28.5% sometimes although as
       many as 30.4%, 40.4% and 18.1% do not wear gloves for cleaning up blood
       stained materials, nursing procedures and taking obstetric delivery
       respectively. It was evident from their responses that not all the
       health workers knew the correct method for disposing of used
       bloodstained instruments and left-over blood samples and neither were
       they all adhering to the safety guidelines recommended for handling
       these materials. Education of all health care workers in Nigeria on the
       Universal Precautions Guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease
       Control (CDC) in 1987 regarding blood, body fluids and contaminated
       instruments' handling precautions is urgently recommended.
 DE    *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/EPIDEMIOLOGY/PREVENTION &
       CONTROL/TRANSMISSION  *Blood Specimen Collection/STANDARDS/TRENDS
       *Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional  Female  *Health
       Personnel  Human  *Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice  Logistic Models  Male
       Nigeria  Risk Assessment  Universal Precautions  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

