Table 4

Knowledge of health care workers about modes of transmission of hepatitis B & C and preventive measures at first level health facilities in Sindh province Pakistan, 2004

MBBS Prescriber
 Non-MBBS Prescriber
 Dispenser
 Housekeeper
 Overall N = 239
Mode of transmissions
 n = 42
 %
 n = 22
 %
 n = 166
 %
 n = 9
 %
 N
 %
     Reuse of contaminated syringe
 39
 92.9
 16
 72.7
 117
 70.5
 2
 22.2
 174
 72.8
     Unscreened blood
 22
 52.4
 6
 27.3
 40
 24.1
 0
 0.0
 68
 28.5
     Unprotected sexual intercourse
 22
 52.4
 6
 27.3
 41
 24.7
 0
 0.0
 69
 28.9
     Reuse of razor
 15
 35.7
 6
 27.3
 35
 21.1
 1
 11.1
 57
 23.8
     Use of unsterilized medical instruments
 11
 26.2
 2
 9.1
 16
 9.6
 0
 0.0
 29
 12.1
     Needle stick or by injury with sharp object
 15
 35.7
 4
 18.2
 20
 12.0
 0
 0.0
 39
 16.3
     Exposure to body fluids
 13
 31.0
 1
 4.5
 7
 4.2
 0
 0.0
 21
 8.8
Precautions for prevention









     Use new syringe for each patient
 13
 31.0
 4
 18.2
 13
 7.8
 0
 0.0
 47
 19.7
     Screen blood before transfusion
 2
 4.8
 0
 0.0
 3
 1.8
 0
 0.0
 5
 2.1
     Sterilize instrument
 3
 7.1
 0
 0.0
 6
 3.6
 0
 0.0
 9
 3.8
     Careful to needle
 2
 4.8
 1
 4.5
 5
 3.0
 0
 0.0
 8
 3.3
     Cleaner work environment (no spillovers, clean dry counters etc)
 0
 0.0
 0
 0.0
 3
 1.8
 0
 0.0
 3
 1.3
     Appropriate disposal of syringes
 3
 7.1
 1
 4.5
 9
 5.4
 0
 0.0
 13
 5.4
     Prevention of exposure to body fluids and blood
 1
 2.4
 0
 0.0
 5
 3.0
 0
 0.0
 6
 2.5
     Watch for unexpected patients movement
 5
 11.9
 0
 0.0
 6
 3.6
 1
 11.1
 12
 5.0
     General vigilance during work
 2
 4.8
 2
 9.1
 15
 9.0
 0
 0.0
 19
 7.9
     Avoid unnecessary injections
 1
 2.4
 0
 0.0
 1
 0.6
 0
 0.0
 2
 0.8
     Don't recapping needle after use
 1
 2.4
 0
 0.0
 0
 0.0
 0
 0.0
 1
 0.4
     Break needle after use
 4
 9.5
 0
 0.0
 4
 2.4
 0
 0.0
 8
 3.3

Janjua et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2007 7:81   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-7-81