Adherence to standard precautions among emergency department healthcare workers during armed conflict: an analytical...

Standard precautions (SPs) are fundamental to preventing healthcare-associated infections, particularly in high-risk settings such as emergency departments (EDs) in conflict zones.

This study assessed adherence to SPs and associated factors among healthcare workers in EDs of Nasser Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among all eligible physicians and nurses (n = 140; response rate 92.8%). Data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, adherence, and influencing factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27, with a significance level of 0.05.

The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and adherence were 88.9%, 70.7%, and 71.1%, respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed between knowledge and adherence (r = 0.32, P<0.001) and between attitude and adherence (r = 0.61, P<0.001). High workload showed a negative association with adherence (r = -0.29, P=0.002). Healthcare workers who had prior SP training demonstrated significantly higher adherence scores than those without training (P=0.003). Adherence differed significantly by years of experience (P=0.021) and administrative position (P=0.018), but not by gender (P>0.05). The availability of supplies and managerial support was positively associated with higher adherence levels (P<0.01).

Healthcare workers demonstrated high knowledge, positive attitudes, and moderate adherence to SPs. Key barriers included resource shortages and heavy workload, particularly under conflict conditions. Strengthening SP-focused training and ensuring reliable supplies may help improve adherence in high-risk EDs in conflict-affected settings.