Infection Control Practices, Vaccination Status and Past Episodes among Medical Professionals in Punjab, India

Abstract

Background: Infection prevention and control practices in health care are extremely important for health workers to safeguard individual and public health. The current study (July 2023 to September 2023) was planned to understand the infection control practices, vaccination status and past infectious disease episodes among medical professionals in Punjab, India. Methods: Information on demography, infection control practices, infectious disease episodes, vaccination status and needle stick injury episodes was recorded using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and univariable logistic regression was employed to understand the factors associated with hand hygiene, PPE use and infectious disease episodes. Findings: Of the 256 participants, 81% were female, 99% belonged to the 20–30 year age group, and 47% were 3rd year medical students. The reported hand hygiene score was 100% in 19 participants, 87.5% in 73 and 75% in 125 participants. The reported PPE use score was 100% in 188 participants, 91.7% in 38 and 87.5% in 12 participants. The odds of having a ≥90% PPE use score (%) were 0.42 (95% CI 0.18, 0.96; p-value = 0.048) in males as compared to female counterparts. The odds of experiencing an infectious disease episode were 0.38 (95% CI 0.17, 0.84; p-value = 0.019) in those having a ≥90% PPE use score (%) as compared to those having a score of <90%.Conclusion: Overall, the current study provides valuable information on infection control practices, vaccination status and past episodes among medical professionals and will aid in reducing occupational health hazards in healthcare workers in Punjab, India.