Improved injection practices after the introduction of treatment and sterility guidelines in Tanzania

Summaryobjective To evaluate the effect of introduction of treatment and sterilization guidelines on the number of avoidable injections and on the sterility of needles and syringes. methods In 1991, 66 randomly selected health units in Mwanza Region, Tanzania, were visited and factors were determine...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Tropical medicine & international health Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 291 - 296
Main Authors:	Vos, Jennechien, Gumodoka, Balthazar, Van Asten, Henri A., Berege, Zacharias A., Dolmans, Wil M., Borgdorff, Martien W.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford BSL Blackwell Science Ltd 01-04-1998 Blackwell Science
Subjects:	Allied Health Personnel - education Biological and medical sciences Community Health Centers Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control Equipment Contamination - prevention & control Evaluation Studies as Topic HIV Infections - prevention & control HIV Infections - transmission Humans injection practices Injections - adverse effects Injections - methods Medical sciences Miscellaneous Needles Pharmacology. Drug treatments Practice Guidelines as Topic prescription practices sterility Sterilization Surveys and Questionnaires Tanzania training Tropical medicine Africa Tanzania Drug Evaluation Sanitary program Medical prescription Professional practice Sterilization Injection Public health Teaching
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Summary:	Summaryobjective To evaluate the effect of introduction of treatment and sterilization guidelines on the number of avoidable injections and on the sterility of needles and syringes. methods In 1991, 66 randomly selected health units in Mwanza Region, Tanzania, were visited and factors were determined that might contribute to HIV transmission by injections. In a workshop with all senior health workers from the region, findings were presented and treatment and sterilization guidelines developed. Thereafter, seminars were held at each health centre of the region. Four months after the intervention, data were collected at the same health facilities in order to assess changes in prescribing practices, sterilization procedures, and sterility of needles and syringes. results The knowledge on indications for injections improved markedly for paramedical staff. The proportion of outpatients receiving an injection dropped from 23% to 10% and the proportion of patients receiving an avoidable injection dropped from 16% to 6%. Procedures for sterilization, keeping sterilized equipment, and administration of injections improved. A smaller proportion of sterilized needles and syringes tended to be contaminated in dispensaries, but this reduction from 44% to 22% was not significant. conclusion Considerable improvement in knowledge, prescription practices and sterility procedures was observed at dispensary level after carrying out a training programme.
ISSN:	1360-2276 1365-3156
DOI:	10.1046/j.1365-3156.1998.00218.x