• Lopes Aline Cristine Souza AC Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Rua Guajajaras 201, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil., Adriana Cristina Oliveira, Jussara Teixeira Silva, and Maria Henriqueta Rocha Siqueira Paiva.
• Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Rua Guajajaras 201, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
• Cad Saude Publica. 2008 Jun 1; 24 (6): 1387-96.

AbstractThis was a cross-sectional study of workers in the pre-hospital care team in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, aimed at evaluating adherence to precautions. The study instrument included questions on knowledge, attitudes, and facilitating factors for adherence to standard precautions. Adherence was verified by percentage of adequacy: > 75% correct answers. Drivers showed the lowest degree of knowledge and physicians the highest. In self-reported answers, none of the workers demonstrated adequate use of face masks, goggles, or personal protective equipment (PPE), and drivers reported inadequate attitudes on all the items. In the univariate analysis, job position, gender, and specific rescue unit were associated with adoption of precautions. Meanwhile, in the multivariate analysis, only job position was related (drivers and nurse technicians/aides). The most frequently cited facilitating factors for improvement of adherence were: training focusing on infections, occupational risks, and use of PPE; periodic team meetings; and creation of a central unit for cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing equipment and materials. Workers in the pre-hospital care service demonstrated attitudes that were compatible with knowledge, but professional class affected knowledge on standard precautions and self-reported adequate attitudes.

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