Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Feb;53(2):222-227.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.10.004. Epub 2024 Oct 10.

Health care workers' perceptions about infection prevention and control in Latin America

Valeria Fabre  1 , Carolyn Herzig  2 , Lucy Anchiraico Galarza  3 , Bowen Aquiles  4 , Ana Belen Arauz  5 , Maria Del Carmen Bangher  6 , Marisa L Bernan  7 , Sol Burokas  8 , Iris L Cazali  9 , Angel Colque  10 , Marisabel Comas  11 , Rosa Verónica Contreras  12 , Maria Gabriela Cordoba  10 , Silvia Mabel Correa  13 , Gustavo Costilla Campero  14 , Aura Chiroy  15 , Gabriela De Ascencao  16 , Carlos Cruz García  4 , Cecilia Ezcurra  17 , Leandro Falleroni  16 , Johana Fernandez  18 , Sandra Ferrari  18 , Veronica Freire  19 , Maria Isabel Garzón  20 , José Anel Gonzales  21 , Lucrecia Guaymas  22 , Fausto Guerrero-Toapanta  23 , Sandra Lambert  11 , Diego Laplume  19 , Paola Romina Lazarte  24 , Herberth Maldonado  25 , Diego M Maurizi  26 , Sandra Miriam Manami  27 , Florencia Mesplet  28 , Cristina Moreno Izquierdo  29 , Yanina Nuccetelli  30 , Argelis Olmedo  31 , Belén Palacio  32 , Florencia Pellice  12 , Carla Lorena Raffo  13 , Carolina Ramos  33 , Fanny Reino  23 , Viviana Rodriguez  17 , Federico Romero  32 , Juan José Romero  34 , Graciela Sadino  3 , Nancy Sandoval  9 , Ines Staneloni  8 , Mariana Suarez  7 , Maria Victoria Suayter  20 , Maria Alejandra Urueña  24 , Marisol Valle  26 , Silvia Vera Amate Perez  14 , Hugo Videla  30 , Silvina Villamandos  6 , Olmedo Villarreal  21 , Maria Alejandra Viteri  28 , Eduardo Warley  22 , Clare Rock  35 , Elizabeth Bancroft  2 , Rodolfo E Quiros  36
Affiliations

Health care workers' perceptions about infection prevention and control in Latin America

Valeria Fabre et al. Am J Infect Control. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Limited information exists regarding health care workers' (HCWs) perceptions about infection prevention and control (IPC) in Latin America.

Methods: We conducted an electronic voluntary anonymous survey to assess HCWs' perceptions toward IPC in 30 hospitals in Latin America during August to September 2022. Nurses, physicians, and environmental cleaning (EVC) staff were prioritized for recruitment.

Results: Overall, 1,340 HCWs completed the survey. Of these, 28% were physicians, 49% nurses, 8% EVC staff, and 15% had "other" roles. Self-compliance with hand hygiene and prevention bundles was perceived to be high by 95% and 89% of respondents, respectively; however, ratings were lower when asked about compliance by their peers (reported as high by 81% and 75%, respectively). Regular training on IPC and access to health care-associated infections (HAI) rates were more limited among physicians than other HCWs (eg, 87% of EVC staff and 45% of physicians reported training upon hiring and thereafter, 60% of nurses and 51% of physicians reported regular access to HAI rate reports).

Conclusions: We identified several opportunities to strengthen IPC practices in Latin American hospitals, including improving HCW education and training on IPC and their awareness of HAI rates and compliance with prevention measures.

PubMed Disclaimer