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The Skin Preparation Knowledge,
Attitudes and Practices among the
Healthcare Professionals in Compliance
with the World Health Organization
(WHO) Guidelines
1041-1046
Correspondence
Syed Wasif Gillani
Lecturer/Researcher, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang 11800, Malaysia.
Phone: +60174203027,
Facsimile: +60164886908
E-mail: wasifgillani@gmail.com
Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and the practices of healthcare professionals towards the skin preparation before giving injections.
Methods: Cross sectional study. A pre-tested, pre-designed, well-structured questionnaire which was written in English was administered to the volunteer doctors, pharmacists and the nurses at Penang General Hospital during 20th March 2011 to 20th April 2011. A total of 136 anonymously completed questionnaires were returned to the investigator. The data was analyzed by using SPSS-16 and the results were expressed as counts and percentages.
Results: Most of the respondents derived their knowledge from healthcare personnel (70.5%, n = 136) and medical books (44.1%, n = 136). Most of the healthcare professionals knew that an alcohol swab would not minimize the pain either during (70%-85%) or after (55%-80%) an injection and that it would not minimize the risk of bleeding (50%-82%) after an injection. Almost all the respondents (93.7%) were of the view that not using a swab was not time saving and economical. However, more than 95% thought that skin preparations would minimize the risk of an infection; therefore, they would not administer an injection without using an alcohol swab.
Conclusion: The knowledge on the use of an alcohol swab before giving intra-dermal, subcutaneous and intra-muscular injections was poor. The healthcare professionals believed that skin preparations would minimize the risk of an infection and that an injection could not be given after cleaning the site with soap and water.