title: Knowledge and practices of health care workers and medical students towards universal precautions in hospitals in Mazandaran Province.
abstract: This study investigated knowledge of and practices towards universal precautions among 540 health care workers and medical students in 2 university hospitals in Mazandaran Province, Islamic Republic of Iran. Only 65.8% and 90.0% staff in the 2 hospitals and 53.5% of medical students had heard about universal precautions. Overall, there was a low understanding of precautions, except concerning disposal of sharps, contact with vaginal fluid, use of mask and gown or cleaning spilled blood. Health workers had difficulty distinguishing between deep body fluids and body secretions that are not considered infectious. Good practices were reported regarding hand-washing, disposal of needles, and glove, mask and gown usage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Bushehr Medical School, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran. nilo1351@yahoo.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Motamed
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: BabaMahmoodi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khalilian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peykanheirati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nozari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001826:Body Fluids; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D011481:Protective Clothing; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016635:Universal Precautions / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal