Abstract
BACKGROUND: The prevention of surgical site infections heavily relies on healthcare professionals who adhere to appropriate use of guidelines. However, there is limited evidence on their knowledge and practices regarding surgical site infections prevention in Rwanda. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practice of health care professionals regarding the prevention of surgical site infections at tertiary hospitals in Rwanda. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study involving 213 healthcare professionals was conducted to assess the practice and knowledge of surgical site infection preventions. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 25. RESULTS: This study indicated that 53.1% of healthcare professionals had good knowledge regarding surgical site infections prevention, while 57% reported good practices. Nurses were significantly more likely to have good practices, with a 4.7 times higher likelihood (AOR=4.66, 95% CI=1.23-17.77) than other healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals who received in-service training on infection prevention were more likely to demonstrate good practices compared to those who are not trained (AOR=2.99, 95% CI=1.29-6.92). CONCLUSION: The current study revealed that 43% of study participants reported poor surgical site infections prevention practices. Therefore, healthcare professionals' knowledge on surgical site infections prevention needs upgrading, and in-service training on infection prevention necessary.