Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices About Infectious Health Care Waste Management in a Tunisian University Hospital

The management of Infectious Health Care Waste (IHCW) has become a major concern for citizens because of its harmful risks to health and the environment. In Tunisia, few studies have focused on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of health care workers regarding IHCW. The objective of this study was to evaluate the KAP among the paramedical staff of the Sahloul Sousse University Hospital on the IHCW Management (IHCWM). Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted in the inpatient wards of Sahloul University Hospital during July 2019. All paramedical staff meeting the inclusion criteria (senior health technicians, nurses and orderlies) responded to a self-administered and anonymous KAP questionnaire in compliance with ethical considerations. Data were collected and analyzed using IBM SPSS statistic version 20.0 software. The categorical variables measured were summarized as numbers and percentages. Results: The participation rate in the study was 78%. The majority of the 92 respondents were women (sex ratio 0.43) and aged 30–49 years (71.8%). Respondents’ knowledge of the different stages of the IHCWM circuit ranged from 2.2 to 75.0%. The subtypes of IHCW were known by 18.5%. Most respondents had a positive attitude (70%) toward IHCW triage. The majority of participants (74.1%) confirmed that they protect themselves when handling IHCW. Bending needles or recapping at the end of treatment was practiced by 59.2% and 40.2%, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that the KAP of the paramedical staff at Sahloul Hospital regarding the management IHCW are not optimal according to the guidelines. Therefore, appropriate training and education are essential to make these paramedical staff aware of the risks they face and to implement appropriate practices to optimize the management of these wastes and ensure the protection of all patients and citizens.