[Knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals with respect to AIDS and the risk of occupational transmission of HIV in 2 Moroccan hospitals].

We carried out a survey of 266 health care workers at two hospitals, in Rabat and Casablanca, to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes and behavior of these individuals with respect to AIDS. We also analyzed working conditions presenting a risk of occupational transmission of HIV, with the aim of developing appropriate preventive measures. We carried out a cross-sectional study, using a standardized questionnaire. The study population consisted of 91 doctors (34.2%), 106 nurses (39.8%), 12 laboratory technicians (8. 8%) and 47 support staff (17.6%) working in various departments. The mean age was 32.7 years. This study population was young, with 83% less than 40 years old and more than half having worked in the hospital for less than ten years. We found that the personnel knew a great deal about the usual means of transmission of HIV, but much less about possible occupational contamination. One person in two was unaware of the ways in which HIV in the hospital environment can be inactivated (bleach - 70% alcohol) and only 18.4% knew that HIV is sensitive to heat. Half the study population thought that the systematic exclusion of patients with HIV was essential and two thirds suggested that every patient admitted to the hospital should undergo systematic HIV testing. Anxiety when caring for seropositive patients was expressed by 56% of doctors and 62% of paramedical workers and 85% thought that health workers were at high risk of contamination during their work. The frequency of occupational injuries was found to be high and such accidents were rarely declared (declaration rate 7%). Protection measures were not in place in more than 50% of cases and too little information and resources were available to increase the awareness of the health care workers. These data show that greater efforts should be made to educate and inform health workers by means of the occupational medicine units recently set up for the benefit of the staff.