HIV/AIDS pandemic and current practice among Paediatric Surgeons in Nigeria.

Background: HIV exposed children could require surgical procedures when ill. This study assessed how paediatric HIV/AIDS affected surgical practice among Nigerian paediatric surgeons.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study among consenting paediatric surgeons completing a self-administered questionnaire on the current practices and perception on HIV/AIDS in relation to their surgical practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Thirty eight out of forty two copies of questionnaire distributed were completed and included in analysis giving a response rate of 92.5%. Most of the respondents (73.7%) were Consultants and had practised more than 10 years. Mean (SD) age was 42.4 (7.5) years ranging from 31 to 63 years. Nearly all the 35 (92.1%) respondents were males while 3 (7.9%) were females. All of them had operated on known HIV positive children. Over half (57.9%) were in support of pre-operative HIV screening with most (76.3%) worried about getting infected during surgery. Most paediatric surgeons knew their HIV status (81.6%) and would undergo HIV screening preoperatively (84.2%) when requested by their patients or their caregivers. Only 5 (22.7%) out of 22 surgeons were screened previously because of needle stick or sharp instrument injury during surgical procedure. Only 6 (15.8%) surgeons rated their cross infection control practices as excellent.

Conclusion: Increasing number of HIV positive children are presenting to pediatric surgeons for surgical treatment in Nigeria in which at present surgical practices are inadequate in terms of cross infection control practices. There is need to optimize cross infection control practices through adequate provision of safe surgical devices.