title: Knowledge, attitudes and clinical practice of blood products prescribers in Niamey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The lack of traceability and monitoring of blood donors and transfused patients constitute a barrier to the most basic rules of haemovigilance and overall good transfusion practices. This study draws up an inventory of knowledge, attitudes and clinical practice of blood prescribers in Niamey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was administered to 180 prescribers of blood products in Niamey in 2011. Questions were related to basic informations on blood transfusion and clinical use of blood. Analyses were performed using SAS 9.3 version.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 180 respondents from several professional categories: 51 physicians (28.33%), 10 medical students (5.56%), 84 nurses (46.67%), 15 anaesthesiologist assistant (8.33%) and 20 midwives (11.11%). Among these, 22.2% received training in blood transfusion safety. Half of the respondents (50.8%) got between 50 and 75% of correct answers, 45.8% got less than 50% correct while 3.35% scored more than 75% correct answers. The overall quality of responses was higher among physicians compared to other prescribers (P<0.0001); among respondents who received training in transfusion safety (P<0.0001); and among males (P=0.0306). For some items, subjects with more experience scored the best.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of knowledge is still inadequate. More training in transfusion practices is necessary for prescribers of blood products. Accompanying measures to improve transfusion practice must be considered or strengthened through assessments, knowledge update/upgrade (regular, ongoing training) and establishment of active and motivated hospital transfusion committees.
authors.affiliation: Centre national de transfusion sanguine, BP 2399, Niamey, Niger. Electronic address: mzoubeida@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mayaki
authors.affiliation: Centre national de transfusion sanguine, BP 2399, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kabo
authors.affiliation: Service des maladies infectieuses et médecine interne générale, CHU Sart Tilman, B35, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moutschen
authors.affiliation: Département des sciences de la santé publique, faculté de médecine, université de Liège, CHU Sart Tilman, B23, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Unité de soutien méthodologique en épidémiologie et biostatistique, université de Liège, CHU Sart Tilman, B23, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dardenne
authors.affiliation: Service francophone du sang, Croix-Rouge de Belgique, 8, rue du Fond-du-Maréchal, 5020 Suarlée, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sondag
authors.affiliation: Service d'immuno-hématologie-transfusion, CHU Sart Tilman, B35, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gérard
mesh_terms: D000072077:Anesthetists / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D058731:Blood Safety; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors; D008880:Midwifery; D009548:Niger; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D055656:Prescriptions; D012306:Risk; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Blood safety; Clinical use of blood; Haemovigilance; Hémovigilance; Niamey; Sécurité transfusionnelle; Utilisation clinique du sang