Reducing health care associated Infections in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit through Quality Improvement approach, Tibebe-Ghion Specialized Teaching Hospital, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia – Mirror of the Health Care Quality

Abstract Background: Health-care-associated-infections are infections occurring while receiving health care, that first appear 48hours or more after hospital admission, or within 30days of receiving health care. Objective: Measure the impact of quality improvement interventions on health-care-associated-infection in the Neonatal Unit of Tibebe – Ghion Hospital. Method: We conducted pre – post Interventional Study between February 01, 2022 and May 01, 2023. Multifaced interventions; implementing recommended minimum NICU standards, re-enforcing WHO IPC Guideline and Hand Hygiene practice, were introduced. NICU Standards achieved, Hand hygiene compliance, WHO IPC guideline Implementation and Health-care-associated-infections were surveyed. Comparison of Health-Care-associated-infection rates before and after the intervention was conducted. Results: Recommended NICU Design standards status was improved from 8% pre-intervention to 79% and 79.5% during and post-intervention respectively. Hand Hygiene compliance in the unit was 10% pre-intervention and improved to 79.5% and 81.3% during and post-intervention respectively. The WHO IPC implementation status was 15% pre-intervention and maximized to 58% both during and post-intervention. These package of interventions were associated with reduction of Health-Care-associated-Infections. (X2 (Degree of Freedom = 1, Sample Size = 432) = 8.2, p = .004.) Conclusions: Infection Prevention practice, Hand Hygiene Compliance and improving NICU Design standards were associated with decrease in health-care-associated-infection rates.