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Updates on knowledge, attitude and preventive practices on tuberculosis among healthcare workers

Abd Wahab F 1 , Abdullah S 1 , Abdullah JM 2 , Jaafar H 3 , Md Noor SS 4 , Wan Mohammad WMZ 5 Show all authors , Mohamed Yusoff AA 6 , Tharakan J 6 , Bhaskar S 7 , Sangu M 6 , Mahmood MS 8 , Kassim F 9 , Rafia MH 10 , Mohammed Haspani MS 11 , Alias A 11 , Pando RH 12

Affiliations 

  • 1 Unit of Biostatistics and Research Methodology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 2 Center for Neuroscience Services and Research (P3Neuro), Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 6 Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 7 Gleneagles Medical Center, 1, Jalan Pangkor, Georgetown, 10050 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
  • 8 Forensic Medicine, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, 50586 Jalan Pahang, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 9 Department of Pathology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, 50586 Jalan Pahang, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 10 Department of Neurology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, 50586 Jalan Pahang, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 11 Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, 50586 Jalan Pahang, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 12 Department of Pathology, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition "Salvador Zubiran", Avenida Vasco de Quiroga No. 15, Sección 16, Mexico, D.F. 14000
Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Nov;23(6):25-34.
PMID: 28090176 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.6.3

Abstract

Ranking as the most communicable disease killer worldwide, tuberculosis, has accounted with a total of 9.6 million new tuberculosis cases with 1.5 million tuberculosis-related deaths reported globally in 2014. Tuberculosis has remain as an occupational hazard for healthcare workers since 1920s and due to several tuberculosis outbreaks in healthcare settings in the early 1990s, the concern about the transmission to both patients and healthcare workers has been raised. Healthcare workers have two to three folds greater the risk of active tuberculosis than the general population. Several studies on knowledge, attitude and practices on tuberculosis among healthcare workers worldwide have revealed that majority of the participated healthcare workers had good knowledge on tuberculosis. Most of the healthcare workers from South India and South Africa also reported to have positive attitude whereas a study in Thailand reported that most of the healthcare providers have negative attitude towards tuberculosis patients. Nevertheless, majority of the healthcare workers have low level of practice on tuberculosis prevention. An improved communication between healthcare workers and the patients as well as their families is the key to better therapeutic outcomes with good knowledge, attitude and preventive practice towards tuberculosis.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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