Knowledge and practice of universal precautions among health care workers in four national hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of health care workers (HCWs) towards universal precautions (UPs) and to look into any associations between knowledge and practice. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was undertaken between August and October 2012, involving 300 HCWs from four national public hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan. A self-administered questionnaire assessing the knowledge and practice of UPs was used. RESULTS Among the 300 respondents, the mean knowledge score was 5.2 with a standard deviation (SD) of 1.5. On the practice score, the mean was 8.7 (SD = 2.2). A total of 90.6% and 70.8% of HCWs believed that UPs were necessary in contact with urine/feces and tears, respectively, although UPs are not necessary in these cases. On the other hand, 57.8% reported that they always recapped the needle after giving an injection, and 31.8% did not always change gloves in between patients. There were no associations between the knowledge and self-reported practice of UPs. CONCLUSIONS The HCWs in Kabul had inadequate knowledge and poor practice of UPs. Training for HCWs is needed to encourage them to adhere to practice based on improved knowledge.