ABSTRACT
Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant cause of morbidity; emotional stress and financial cost to the affected patients and health care institutions; and infection control policy has been shown to reduce the burden of SSI in several health care institutions. This study assessed the effects of the implementation of the policy in a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt; Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional; comparative study design was used for the study; with data collected using a structured questionnaire and guided observation of doctors and nurses involved in the management of patients that had caesarean sections in two comparable tertiary hospitals in Port Harcourt-the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH). Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the designations and length of practice of the respondents in both hospitals (P = 0.77). However; 63.64 of the respondents in UPTH were aware of the infection control committee; compared with none in BMSH. The appropriate timing for the administration of prophylactic antibiotics; and for the removal of the hair at the incision site were observed by 57.58 of the respondents in UPTH were aware of the infection control committee; compared with none in BMSH. The appropriate timing for the administration of prophylactic antibiotics; and for the removal of the hair at the incision site were observed by 57.58 and 69.69 respectively of the respondents in UPTH; compared with 22.86 (P = 0.00) and 0.00 (P = 0.02) in BMSH. The reasons given by the respondents in UPTH for nonadherence to the infection control policy include poor supervision (39.39) and lack of in-service training (21.21); while the respondents in BMSH gave reasons that include inadequate supply of consumables (34.29) and absence of a hospital's policy on infection control (22.88). Conclusion: The implementation of the infection control policy resulted in some improvements in certain infection control practices