A STUDY TO ASCERTAIN THE ADEQUACY OF OBSERVANCE OF UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS IN ACUTE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL WARDS OF A LARGE TEACHING HOSPITAL.

The present study was a cross-sectional analytic epidemiological design to assess the frequency of observance of universal precautions in acute care wards of a large teaching hospital and to assess the epidemiological determinants of such observance. A total population of medical officers, nurses, paramedical and ancillary workers working in acute medical and surgical wards was studied using direct observations recorded on a pre-tested, structured format. The study revealed that handwashing was more frequently practiced by medical officers and ancillary staff (68% to 93%) as compared to nurses and paramedicals (38% to 58%) (p<0.