Knowledge Assessment of Hospital Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia Regarding Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Setting
2.2. Study Population
2.3. Survey Questionnaire
2.4. Outcome Measures
2.5. Ethical Consideration
2.6. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Public Involvement Statement
Guidelines and Standards Statement
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristics | Nurses (N = 358) |
---|---|
Sex, n (%) | |
Male | 118 (33.0) |
Female | 240 (67.0) |
Educational level, n (%) | |
Diploma in nursing | 42 (11.7) |
Bachelor’s degree | 236 (65.9) |
Master’s degree | 74 (20.7) |
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | 6 (1.7) |
Item | Nurses (N = 358) |
---|---|
Section 1: Basic microbiology and illness caused by CDI, n (%) | |
| |
Anaerobic bacillus Gram-positive coccus Gram-negative bacillus Fungus | 109 (30.4) 181 (50.5) 41 (11.5) 27 (7.6) |
| |
None 5% 15–70% 100% | 63 (17.6) 151 (42.2) 132 (36.9) 12 (3.3) |
| |
Pseudomembranous colitis Antibiotic-associated colitis Antibiotic-associated cases of diarrhea Toxic megacolon | 96 (26.8) 94 (26.2) 135 (37.8) 33 (9.2) |
| |
Less than 2 days 2 days to 8 weeks 8–10 weeks More than 10 weeks | 65 (18.1) 209 (58.4) 59 (16.5) 25 (7.0) |
Section 2: Risk factors that increase susceptibility to acquiring CDI, n (%) | |
| |
Prolonged hospital stay Advanced age Immunosuppressant Usage of antacids and stool softeners All of the above | 62 (17.3) 43 (12.0) 31 (8.7) 23 (6.4) 199 (55.6) |
| |
Cephalosporins Aminopenicillins Fluoroquinolones Clindamycin All of the above | 69 (19.3) 38 (10.6) 37 (10.3) 39 (10.9) 175 (48.9) |
| |
Antibiotic restriction Use of gloves while examining patients Washing hands Prophylactic use of metronidazole | 86 (24.0) 55 (15.4) 175 (48.9) 42 (11.7) |
Section 3: Detection and management of CDI, n (%) | |
| |
Yes No | 291 (81.3) 67 (18.7) |
| |
Cytotoxin assay for detecting cytotoxin B ELISA Latex agglutination test Stool culture | 86 (24.0) 58 (16.2) 34 (9.5) 180 (50.3) |
| |
Hand washing with soap and water Rubbing hands with alcohol-based products Wearing gloves All of the above | 96 (26.8) 35 (9.8) 20 (5.6) 207 (57.8) |
| |
Oral vancomycin Oral metronidazole Intravenous vancomycin Intravenous metronidazole | 89 (24.9) 130 (36.3) 70 (19.5) 69 (19.3) |
| |
Addition of oral vancomycin Switch over to oral vancomycin Switch over to intravenous metronidazole Addition of intravenous vancomycin Switch over to intravenous metronidazole and oral vancomycin | 91 (25.4) 63 (17.6) 71 (19.8) 78 (21.8) 55 (15.4) |
(a) Basic Microbiology and Illness Caused by CDI | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
What Type of Organism is C. difficile? (n = 109) | What Percentage of Normal Healthy Adults Carry Toxin-Producing C. difficile in Their Gut Flora? (n = 151) | Which of the Following Conditions May Be Due to CDI? (n = 33) | What Is the Incubation Period of C. difficile-Associated Disease? (n = 209) | p-Value | |||||||
Age group, in years, n (%) | χ2 = 2.421; p = 0.877 | ||||||||||
≤25 | 7 (6.4) | 15 (9.9) | 3 (9.1) | 22 (10.5) | |||||||
26 to 39 | 83 (76.1) | 114 (75.5) | 23 (69.7) | 153 (73.2) | |||||||
≥40 | 19 (17.5) | 22 (14.6) | 7 (21.2) | 34 (16.3) | |||||||
Sex, n (%) | χ2 = 0.453; p = 0.929 | ||||||||||
Female | 74 (67.9) | 106 (70.2) | 22 (66.7) | 148 (70.8) | |||||||
Male | 35 (32.1) | 45 (29.8) | 11 (33.3) | 61 (29.2) | |||||||
Educational level, n (%) | χ2 = 1.922; p = 0.927 | ||||||||||
Diploma in nursing | 14 (12.8) | 17 (11.3) | 5 (15.2) | 19 (9.1) | |||||||
Bachelor’s degree | 67 (61.5) | 95 (62.9) | 19 (57.5) | 136 (65.1) | |||||||
Master’s and PhD | 28 (25.7%) | 39 (25.8%) | 9 (27.3%) | 54 (25.8%) | |||||||
(b) Risk Factors That Increase Susceptibility to Acquiring CDI | |||||||||||
Which of the Following Risk Factors Are Associated with Acquisition of C. difficile? (n = 199) | Which of the Following Antibiotics are the Most Frequently Cited Causes of CDI? (n = 175) | What Is the Single Most Successful Measure in Reducing Symptomatic CDI? (n = 86) | p-Value | ||||||||
Age group, in years, n (%) | χ2 = 6.985; p = 0.137 | ||||||||||
≤25 | 25 (12.5) | 15 (8.6) | 17 (19.8) | ||||||||
26 to 39 | 141 (70.9) | 132 (75.4) | 58 (67.4) | ||||||||
≥40 | 33 (16.6) | 28 (16.0) | 11(12.8) | ||||||||
Sex, n (%) | χ2 = 23.417; p < 0.001 | ||||||||||
Female | 155 (77.9) | 133 (76.0) | 44 (51.2) | ||||||||
Male | 44 (22.1) | 42 (24.0) | 42 (48.8) | ||||||||
Educational level, n (%) | χ2 = 6.409; p = 0.171 | ||||||||||
Diploma in nursing | 18 (9.0) | 17 (9.7) | 8 (9.3) | ||||||||
Bachelor’s degree | 150 (75.4) | 127 (72.6) | 54 (62.8) | ||||||||
Master’s and PhD | 31 (15.6) | 31 (17.7) | 24 (27.9) | ||||||||
(c) Detection and Management of CDI | |||||||||||
Is It Necessary to Treat all Cases of C. difficile-Associated Diarrhea? (n = 67) | What Is the Gold Standard Test for the Identification of Pathogenic CDI? (n = 86) | What Is the Most Effective Way of Preventing Transmission of C. difficile? (n = 96) | What Is the First-Line Antibiotic Choice for the Treatment of C. difficile-Associated Diarrhea? (n = 130) | The Treatment of Choice in Patients Who Failed to Respond to Oral Metronidazole in C. difficile-Associated Diarrhea Is (n = 63) | p-Value | ||||||
Age group, in years, n (%) | χ2 = 8.904; p = 0.350 | ||||||||||
≤25 | 14 (20.9) | 14 (16.3) | 10 (10.4) | 17 (13.1) | 5 (7.9) | ||||||
26 to 39 | 47 (70.1) | 57 (66.3) | 68 (70.8) | 95 (73.1) | 47 (74.7) | ||||||
≥40 | 6 (9.0) | 15 (17.4) | 18 (18.8) | 18 (13.8) | 11 (17.4) | ||||||
Sex, n (%) | χ2 = 4.061; p = 0.398 | ||||||||||
Female | 40 (59.7) | 53 (61.6) | 64 (66.7) | 89 (68.5) | 35 (55.6) | ||||||
Male | 27 (40.3) | 33 (38.4) | 32 (33.3) | 41 (31.5) | 28 (44.4) | ||||||
Educational level, n (%) | χ2 = 3.657; p = 0.887 | ||||||||||
Diploma in nursing | 6 (8.9) | 14 (16.3) | 11 (11.5) | 13 (10.0) | 8 (12.7) | ||||||
Bachelor’s degree | 43 (64.2) | 54 (62.8) | 59 (61.5) | 86 (66.2) | 38 (60.3) | ||||||
Master’s and PhD | 18 (26.9) | 18 (20.9) | 26 (27.0) | 31 (23.8) | 17 (27.0) |
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Albougami, A.; Banawas, S.S. Knowledge Assessment of Hospital Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia Regarding Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Nurs. Rep. 2025, 15, 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15020074
Albougami A, Banawas SS. Knowledge Assessment of Hospital Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia Regarding Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Nursing Reports. 2025; 15(2):74. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15020074
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlbougami, Abdulrhman, and Saeed S. Banawas. 2025. "Knowledge Assessment of Hospital Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia Regarding Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study" Nursing Reports 15, no. 2: 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15020074
APA StyleAlbougami, A., & Banawas, S. S. (2025). Knowledge Assessment of Hospital Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia Regarding Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Nursing Reports, 15(2), 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15020074