A Study of the Infection Situation, Preventive Actions and Infection Control in Hospitals, Northeastern Region

Abstract

        This descriptive research aimed to study the situation of infections, preventive actions and infection control in hospitals in the Northeastern region of Thailand. The population of this study was 320 hospitals with 192 samples. The sample size of the hospitals in each stratum was proportional to the population. This comprised four central hospitals, 13 general hospitals and 175 community hospitals. The informants were those personnel responsible for controlling and preventing infections. The instruments for collecting the data were an interview form on the situation of infections and the operation in the control and prevention of infections in the hospital. The tool was tested for Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.87.

        The results showed that community hospitals had the most effective surveillance. For the number of infections in the hospital, the central hospitals had the highest number of infections. The three most frequently reported infections were respiratory infections followed by urinary tract infections associated with urinary catheters and surgical wounds. In the prevention and control of nosocomial infections, the central hospitals had the highest score in all aspects in terms of system design, prevention and surveillance, and follow-up and control. The problems and obstacles in the prevention and control of nosocomial infections included personnel policy, budget, compliance and the structure of the building, respectively.