Awareness of health care workers, patients and visitors regarding air borne infection control - A descriptive study from a Tertiary Care Centre in Kerala, southern India

Airborne infections are major public health concern especially in hospitals and public spaces in a highly populated country like India. Generating awareness about good infection control practices among common man and health care workers are important steps in curtailing transmission of air borne infections. In this study we were trying to assess the awareness of airborne infection control measures among patients, bystanders and healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital at Kochi, Kerala. Self-administered questionnaire which included 10 questions for health care staff and 12 questions for lay men prepared on the basis of NAIC and NCDC guideline were given to the study participants. 143 health care staff and 332 laymen were participated in the study. In both groups majority of the responses were correct. However, only a small proportion of health care staff correctly answered fast tracking of a patient with TB (14.7%) and minimum air exchanges in air-conditioned settings (15.4%). Among laymen only a few correctly identified ideal place for sputum collection (43.3%) and role of hand washing in preventing flu (36.4%). Overall more intervention needed in improving awareness about good infection control practices among both health care staff and laymen.