Knowledge on Sepsis among Health Care Providers of Birat Medical College and Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Knowledge and awareness of sepsis among various health care professionals is essential for prompt diagnosis and appropriate initial resuscitation and management of patient with sepsis.
 Objective: To assess and compare the knowledge and awareness of sepsis among health care professionals working at Birat Medical College and Teaching Hospital.
 Methodology This was a questionnaire-based survey with comparative study in 200 health care professionals conducted at Birat Medical College and Teaching Hospital from July– September, 2019. Questions were designed to assess the knowledge on diagnosis, initial resuscitation and management of sepsis. The knowledge level of the participants was assessed with scoring system as good, average and poor which was finally compared between the various health care professionals.
 Result Out of 200, only 180 health care professionals were included for statistical analysis. While assessing the knowledge on diagnosis of sepsis, 55.6% consultant doctors, 42.8% medical officers and 21.5% nursing/paramedics answered correctly on an average. Similarly, 51.7 % consultant doctors, 33.7% medical officers and 26.6% nursing/ paramedics gave correct answers while assessing knowledge on initial resuscitation and management. The nursing/paramedics had comparatively lower knowledge level on sepsis than the doctors. Around 31.7%, 51.2% and 17% of health care professionals working in Emergency, ICU and Anesthesiology departments had good, average and poor knowledge on sepsis respectively as compared to 14.2%, 28.5% and 57.1% of participants working in other departments.
 Conclusion: The nursing/paramedics had lower knowledge level on sepsis as compared to the doctors while health care professionals working in Emergency,ICU and Anesthesiology departments had better knowledge on sepsis as compared to staffs working in other departments.

Knowledge and perception of Sepsis among Doctors in Karachi Pakistan

“…Similar results were reported by a Nepalese study where almost 46% of the participants who had worked in intensive care areas had adequate knowledge regarding sepsis. 10 In our study, younger age group respondents had better knowledge than the older respondents. Our study also found that residents had more knowledge regarding sepsis than the consultants.…”

“…14,15 Our study detected a statistically significant association between working experience of critical areas (ICU/CCU/HDU) with knowledge similar to other studies. 10 The reason behind this phenomenon could be that the doctors working in critical areas get more exposure to patients with sepsis. They frequently get hands-on practice in detecting and managing patients suffering from sepsis compared to the doctors working in the less critical areas.…”

“…9 Another study conducted in Nepal showed that the healthcare workers who were or had previously worked in the critical areas such as emergency and ICUs, had better knowledge (31.7%) than those who were working in less critical or general areas (14.2%). 10 There is a need for physicians from all specialties to recognize the early signs of sepsis, and make timely diagnosis and treatment possible for a better prognosis. 7,8 A thorough understanding of its definitions and a more comprehensive perception about the disease itself is crucial to prepare our doctors for better management of sepsis.…”

Prompt Identification of Sepsis on Hospital Floors: Are Healthcare Professionals Ready for the Implementation of the Hour-1 Bundle?

“…However, only 32.4% could distinguish between different levels of sepsis severity [ 15 ]. According to a Nepalese study, almost 46% of participants who had experience working in ICUs had sufficient understanding about sepsis [ 16 ]. In contrast to past research that found healthcare workers to lack appropriate knowledge on sepsis and its management practices [ 11 ], our study had a larger proportion of individuals who provided accurate answers.…”