TITLE:
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Healthcare Workers Regarding Sepsis in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
AUTHORS:
Michel Muteya Manika, Rivain Fefe Iteke, Aristophane Koffi Tano, Olivier Kabiriko Mukuku, Christian Ngama Kakisingi, Berthe Nsimire Barhayiga, Nathan Kutshid Nguz’a, Sandra Zalambo Sagboze, Christian Nawej Tshisuz, Florence Mutomb Mujing’a, Serge Kapend Matanda, Anne-Marie Ntumba Kayamba, Michel Nzaji Kabamba, Eric Ilunga Kasamba, Albert A Nkoy Tambwe Mwembo, Claude Mulumba Mwamba, Hippolyte Nani-Tuma Situakibanza, Liévin Kalala Kapend’a
KEYWORDS:
Sepsis, Healthcare Workers, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Lubumbashi
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.15 No.1,
January
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Optimizing sepsis management and developing training programs for healthcare workers depend on identifying areas for improvement. This study assesses the interrelationship between healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sepsis in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Results: The study involved 179 healthcare workers, with 169 completing a questionnaire. The majority were physicians (83.43%) with a male predominance (79.29%). Physicians under 40 years old represented 53.85%, while most nurses were women (83.29%), aged 40 to 50 years (81.71%) with more than 10 years of experience (42.86%). Most worked in public hospitals (55.32%). Although 81% of physicians and 52% of nurses reported knowing the definition of sepsis, only 34% of physicians correctly identified it, with none of the nurses doing so. Regarding diagnosis, 49% of physicians mentioned CRP as a key marker, and 61% used the infection-SIRS association, compared to 29% of nurses. Only 26.42% of physicians knew that tachycardia was not part of the qSOFA score. The results revealed that 46.60% of respondents had low knowledge, 37.46% had moderate knowledge, and only 15.94% had good knowledge. Physicians had slightly better knowledge than nurses (p Conclusion: This study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive training on sepsis and standardized care strategies (SSC) in DRC.