Sterilization and Infection Control Practices by Staff of the Main Operating Theatre of Mariere Memorial Central Hospital Ugheli, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Sterilization and infection control are critical aspects of ensuring patient safety in healthcare settings, particularly in high-risk environments such as the operating theatres. Method and Materials: The main purpose of this study was to find out the Sterilization and Infection Control Practices of the Staff in the Main Operating Theatre of Mariere Memorial Central Hospital Ugheli in Delta State, Nigeria. The theoretical framework that guided the study was the Health Belief Model, while the study adopted the Descriptive Cross Sectional Research Design. The total population of the study was sixty (60) members of staff, while the sample size was fifty-two (52), using the Taro Yemene formula. The sample size was purposefully selected. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire designed by the researchers. Descriptive statistics of percentages and frequencies were used in analyzing the generated data for the research questions, while chi-square statistics was used to test the relationship between the demographic variables and the adherence to sterilization / infection control protocol. Results: The results showed that 50% of the staff demonstrated a high knowledge of sterilization and infection control practices, while 46.2% adhere strictly to the sterilization control protocol of the hospital. It also showed that 38.5% of respondents complained of inadequate resources in the theatre, while 42.3% believed that the current sterilization and infection control measures are effective. The null hypothesis was rejected in favor of the alternate hypothesis. Therefore, there was a statistically significant relationship between the knowledge of sterilization / infection control and the challenges being faced by the staff of the hospital. Conclusion: This study revealed that while knowledge among staff was pretty high, several challenges limited the full implementation of sterilization and infection control practices.