Gap between Knowledge and Practice Regarding Surgical Attire Among Medical Students in Pakistan A Cross-Sectional Study
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Surgical attire is an important component of maintaining a sterile operating room environment, however lack of adherence to their appropriate usage can lead to increased hospital-acquired infections.
Purpose of the Study: This study aims to describe the current knowledge and practice of medical students regarding surgical attire.
Methods: A total number of 216 medical students with exposure to clinical rotations were administered a questionnaire based on knowledge from the medical school student handbook and American Association of Surgical Technologists Standards of Practice for Surgical Attire, Surgical Scrub, Hand Hygiene, and Handwashing. The data was analyzed using SPSS v23.0. Categorical variables were reported as frequency and percentages and were assessed by the chi-square/ Fisher exact test.
Results: Most students correctly identified the components of surgical scrubs including scrub suit (95.5%), shoe covers (95.4%), headcover (94.9%), and masks (93.9%). 82.7% of students were aware of the policy of wearing surgical scrubs off-campus, 78.7% knew the correct method of using the protective over gowns, only 52.8% knew permissible areas for wearing surgical scrubs. Students’ adequate knowledge did not translate into their practices. 57.1% of the students reported not having received any formal education on scrub use. Inconvenience (66.9%), was cited as the most common cause of scrub re-use and unsafe practices.
Principal Conclusion: Medical students have sufficient knowledge regarding surgical scrubs which does not translate into their practices. The majority of the students report as not having received any formal training regarding surgical scrub usage.
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