Awareness and Knowledge of Laboratory Acquired Infections Among Medical Laboratory Workers Across Local Government Areas of Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Acquired infections occupy a significant position among all the occupationally acquired infections worldwide. Awareness, nature and mode of acquiring these infections will help both the private medical laboratory workers and policy makers on preventive measures
towards reducing these infections. This aim of this study is to determine the level of awareness and knowledge of infections among the private medical laboratory workers in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 164 participants, aged between 15-60 years enrolled for this
study. They comprised of 67 males and 97 females. The level of awareness and knowledge was determined using questionnaires and other statistical instruments. Majority of the respondents had good awareness and knowledge of infections (97.6%), routes of infections (77.4%), safety symbols (59.8%) and safe laboratory procedures (43.3%). The overall mean score of knowledge of infections (9.59) and routes of infections (6.60) were rated as good, while those of safety symbols (4.99) and safe laboratory procedures (4.62%) were rated as fair. The level of awareness and knowledge of laboratory acquired infections is high in this study. However, there is need for government and all the stakeholders in the health sector to be involved in training and retraining of laboratory workers so as to be current with principle of best practice that is obtainable worldwide.