Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis among Medical Doctors in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Healthcare workers are exposed to accidental infections from contaminated body fluids in the course of their duties. HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the measure instituted to manage exposure to potentially contaminated body fluids and prevent HIV infection. Ignorance of the appropriate measures to take may increase the risk of acquiring HIV infection from accidental exposure. This survey was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of HIV PEP among doctors in a tertiary hospital.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional survey. A pretested structured questionnaire was administered on randomly selected doctors from all clinical departments of a tertiary hospital. The questionnaire assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of HIV PEP according to the WHO guidelines. A score of > 75% was adequate for each area.

RESULTS

Fifty-one completed questionnaires were returned out of 56 giving a response rate of 91%. The total knowledge score was 60.0 ± 10.2% (mean ± SD). The total score in attitude towards PEP was 66.5 ± 12.2% while for practice it was 47.5 ± 27.0%. There was a significant correlation between participant's knowledge and practice (rho = 0.316, p <0.05) as well as between attitude and practice (rho= 0.393, p< 0.01). There was no significant difference in scores in relation to the cadre or department.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals that the knowledge, attitude and practice of HIV PEP among doctors is generally not adequate. Enhanced education will reduce the risk of accidental HIV infection among doctors.