Assessment of Gram stain competency and associated factors among laboratory professional in clinical laboratories at Mekelle city health facility, Mekelle, Ethiopia
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Date
2020-05
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background:
Gram stains are initially used as a pre-analytical indicator of specimen quality and
acceptability for culture. It also gives the clinician preliminary information regarding the nature of
potential pathogens present in thepatient specimen and thus serve to guide empirical therapy. This
procedure is still considered a high-complexity procedure by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments (CLIA) program. The manual nature of the staining process and the subjectivity of
Gram stain interpretation contribute to the incidence of errors.
Objective:
Assessment of Gram stain competency and associated factors among laboratory
professional in clinical laboratories at Mekelle city health facility
Methodology:
A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to April 2020 on 77
different health facilities present at Mekelle city. Convenient sampling method was used to
collectData from 148participants; of those are 81, 62 and 5 from private, governmental and uniformed
health facility respectively.Qualitative data were collected from medical laboratory professional
through a structured self-administered questionnaire and panel slide at on-site assessment of their
performance. Question and panel slide was used to assess knowledge and skill of laboratory
professionals respectively. Panel slides were prepared from American Type Culture
Collection(ATCC)by using known bacterial strains and no organism slides were prepared from patient
sample.Bloom’s cut off point of59 % or below as low, 60-80 % as medium and above 80: as high was
used to describe the knowledge and practical skills of the respondents.
Result:
Among 155 eligible medical laboratory professionals, 148 (95.5%) of them participatedand
most of them were males 78(52.7%). Onehundred twenty seven 127(85.2%), Nineteen 19(12.8%) and
2(1.3%) participants scored low, medium and high skill level respectively. The level of skills and
knowledge of medical laboratory professional had significant associated witheducational level,
SLIPTA levelof health facility,training, higher institution type and sex had significant association
withstudy participant about gram stain (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
The present study showed that the majority of medical laboratory professional had low
knowledge and skill in gram stain examinations. Attention should be given to develop training
strategies that can improve laboratory professional knowledge and skill level. This could be achieved
through pre service and in service training and also giving adequate emphasis to gram stain related
practical training, continuous followupand Regular competence assessment (supervision).
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Keywords
Professional competence, clinical performance, Gram Stain