Risk factors of healthcare-associated infection among healthcare workers in intensive care units: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major global health threat, leading to higher morbidity and mortality, longer hospital stays, and increased healthcare expenses. Intensive care units (ICUs) present a particularly high risk of developing HAIs. This study aims to examine the risk factors of HAIs among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the ICUs of selected public hospitals.

Methods: We employed a cross-sectional design using an online survey. Respondents were randomly selected from seven large public hospitals located in different areas of Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Data collection was conducted between November 1st to 15th, 2023. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine previous exposure to HAIs as the response variable and selected predictors.

Results: A total of 600 HCWs participated in the study (response rate 88.2%). Among the study HCWs, 75.1% were female, with nurses making up 50% of the sample. Of the respondents, 78% had at least a year's experience, 71% had applied infection prevention and control (IPC) training from the infection control department, and 93% reported they had good knowledge about infection control. The level of knowledge of IPC (OR = 0.9, p < 0.05) and applied IPC training (0.1, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with a lower risk of HAIs. Additionally, a higher risk of HAIs was associated with HCWs years of clinical experience (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicated that HCWs who have poor knowledge of IPC, who reported no previous IPC applied training, and who have more years of clinical work experience have a greater risk of HAIs. Thus, legislators and Health officials should prioritize the prevention of infections linked to healthcare, paying particular attention to tailored and applied IPC initiatives.