The Role of the Infection Control System in Preventing Infections Acquired in Medical Departments of Healthcare Facilities
Published 2025-02-16
Copyright (c) 2025 Ohood Yagoub Mohammed Turkestani, Fatema Omar Mohammed Alzelaie , Khalid Abdu Shouai Kulaybi , Tahani Yahia Obaid Alsreehah , Eman Zeid Alhasan Alkhairaty, Hadeel Khaled Matyuri, Nermeen Issam Abdulkarim Altayyar, Mai Abdullah Saad Alghamdi, Abeer
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a persistent threat to patient
safety in acute care settings worldwide, and healthcare facilities in Makkah, Saudi Arabia are no
exception. The city's unique demographic pressures, including year-round patient influx and
seasonal peaks during Hajj and Umrah, place extraordinary demands on hospital infection
control systems. Despite global progress in infection prevention and control (IPC), evidence
regarding the effectiveness of structured IPC programmes at the departmental level within Saudi
tertiary hospitals remains insufficiently characterised.
Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the role of the infection control system in reducing
HAI rates across five medical departments of two tertiary-level hospitals in Makkah, to assess
healthcare worker compliance with IPC standards, and to identify risk factors that significantly
predict HAI occurrence.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional observational design was employed. A total of 400
patient records and corresponding staff compliance observations were collected from January
to June 2024. Departments included the Surgical ICU, Medical ICU, Orthopedic Ward,
Oncology Ward, and General Medicine Ward. Data encompassed HAI occurrence, compliance
with hand hygiene, PPE use, sterile technique, environmental disinfection, isolation protocols,
and waste management. Binary logistic regression was applied to identify independent predictors
of HAI.
Results: The overall HAI rate was 15.0% (n = 60). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
(CAUTI) accounted for the largest proportion (30.0%), followed by ventilator-associated
189Cultura. International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology 23(2s)/2026
pneumonia (VAP) at 23.3%. Full compliance with hand hygiene stood at 61.5%, and PPE
utilisation compliance was 57.2%. Sterile technique showed the highest compliance rate at
72.0%. Logistic regression identified inadequate IPC training (OR = 3.42, p < 0.001),
insufficient hand hygiene compliance (OR = 2.87, p < 0.001), and absence of a dedicated IPC
committee (OR = 2.15, p = 0.009) as significant independent predictors.
Conclusion: Structured and consistently enforced IPC systems are central to reducing HAI
burden in Makkah's healthcare facilities. Strengthening IPC training programmes, formalising
compliance monitoring, and establishing dedicated infection control committees are essential
policy actions. These findings inform both local healthcare management and broader regional
strategies for HAI prevention.
Keywords: Healthcare-associated infections; infection prevention and control; hospital
epidemiology; hand hygiene compliance; Makkah; Saudi Arabia; ICU; patient safety.