Profile of anesthetic infection control in Taiwan: a questionnaire report.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate compliance of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists with personal hygiene and anesthetic equipment disinfection procedures in Taiwan.


METHODS
Survey instrument.


METHODS
Anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists working in medical and non-medical centers in Taiwan.


METHODS
81 anesthesiologists and 181 nurse anesthetists working in medical and non-medical centers.


RESULTS
Questionnaires were sent to 500 anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in Taiwan. Two hundred sixty-two (52%) completed questionnaires (127 from medical centers and 135 from non-medical centers). Completed questionnaires were divided into two groups: those from medical centers (Group A) and those from non-medical centers (Group B). There was no significant difference in personal hygienic practices (wearing gloves and washing hands) between Groups A and B. There were significant differences between anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in wearing gloves (65.3% vs. 82%; P = 0.001) and hand washing (52.6% vs. 70.4%; P = 0.003). Medical center anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists performed better than their non-medical-center counterparts when using disinfection procedures and disinfectants for laryngoscope blades and the cleaning of fiberscopes.


CONCLUSIONS
Teaching programs should include anesthesia infection control in the curriculum for anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists.
Or
Richard C H
RC
Department of Anesthesiology, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Dajia Branch, Taichung, Taiwan.
Hsieh
Teng K
TK
Lan
Kuo M
KM
Kang
Fu C
FC
Chen
Ying H
YH
So
Edmund C
EC
D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000295:instrumentation; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation; D017575:Gloves, Protective / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D020704:Laryngoscopes / Q000382:microbiology; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan