Assessment of Standard Precautions Practices Among Health Care Workers in a Rural Area of South-South Nigeria

Health care workers are continuously at risk of blood borne infections because of their exposure to blood and body fluids during care of patients and these exposures are potentially infectious. Hence, regular adherence to standard precautions is widely advocated by World Health Organization and Centres of Disease Control as a primary strategy for controlling occupational exposure to blood and body fluids. Objectives: To evaluate knowledge, practices of HCW concerning blood- borne pathogens and adherence to standard precautions Methods: Rural based cross sectional study with quantitative and qualitative component was conducted among two hundred and thirteen health care workers in Ekpoma, Edo State. Results: Of all the Health care workers studied, only less than one third of respondents had good knowledge and practice of standard precautions. Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of standard precautions was found to be generally poor. Hence, all health care workers should be trained on the principles of infection control and exposure prevention.