Knowledge and Self-Reported Practice of Universal Precautions among Kuwait University Medical Students in Their Clinical Years

Abstract

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of universal precautions among Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, medical students in their clinical years. Subjects and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire including 9 knowledge and 9 practice questions of universal precautions was used. A score was calculated for both knowledge and practice. These scores were dichotomized into less than median score (poor) and more than median score (good). 244 students were invited to participate. Results: Of the 244 students, 220 (90.2%) accepted to participate. Of the 9 knowledge questions about universal precautions, 7 were answered correctly by more than 60% (range 64.8–90.4) of the students. All questions regarding the practice of universal precautions were answered correctly by over 60% (range 61.8–96.4) of the students. The prevalence of poor knowledge was 38.2% (84/220) and poor practice was 27.7% (61/220). Grade point average was significantly (p = 0.008) associated with the knowledge status of the respondents; however, it was not significantly associated (p = 0.397) with practice of universal precautions. Furthermore, neither the knowledge status nor any of the sociodemographic variables were significantly associated with the practice of universal precautions. Conclusions: A substantial number of students of the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, in their clinical years appeared to have poor level of both knowledge and practice of universal precautions. Efforts are needed to optimize the level of knowledge and practice among students to minimize the risk of preventable infections.

Occupational Exposures to Body Fluids and Behaviors Regarding Their Prevention and Post-Exposure Among Medical and Nursing Students at a Brazilian Public University

“…Some studies revealed that knowledge about “universal precautions” alone is not sufficient to implement safe practices 11,19 . In the present study, based on the information obtained, nursing students seem to receive more and better instructions on occupational exposure prevention than medical students, as observed in South Korea 12 .…”

Extracurricular research activities among senior medical students in Kuwait: experiences, attitudes, and barriers

“…KU is focusing on the evaluation and improvement of the bedside teaching of their medical students; however, evaluating research and EBM education has not been done before 11–14. In this study, any research experience that was not part of the curriculum in medical school is defined as an extracurricular research activity that includes presenting research abstracts, publishing scientific papers or participating in research electives.…”

Medical and surgical ward rounds in teaching hospitals of Kuwait University: students’ perceptions

“…This might be because surgeons spend a significant proportion of their working hours in the operation room, leaving less time for teaching in the wards. These findings could explain students’ lack of proper bedside clinical skills in Kuwait and other countries 15,16,21–24. It is necessary to expend sufficient time and effort to make improvements to this fundamental teaching activity.…”

“…However, there is no evidence available to show whether this deficiency is due to inadequate ward round training 15,16. In this study, we aim to provide an assessment of medical and surgical ward round sessions in FOMKU teaching hospitals, based on the opinions of medical students.…”