Knowledge and Practice of Infection Control Among Radiographers at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State

Infection control in radiology departments is a critical patient safety practice, particularly given the high frequency of immunocompromised and infectious disease patients who access radiological investigations across all diagnostic modalities. The COVID-19 pandemic elevated global attention to radiology department infection risks, and the knowledge and practice status among radiographers in South South Nigeria warrants post-pandemic systematic examination. This study assesses the knowledge and practice of infection control among radiographers at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State. A descriptive cross-sectional design is employed, with a structured questionnaire administered to all 65 radiographers and radiography technologists in the department of radiology. The instrument measures knowledge of standard precautions, personal protective equipment usage, equipment disinfection procedures, respiratory hygiene compliance, and waste disposal practice. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests are computed in SPSS. Literature from South South Nigerian teaching hospitals identifies inconsistent hand hygiene compliance and inadequate disinfection of ultrasound transducers as the most frequently documented infection control deficiencies in radiology settings. The WHO Guidelines on Core Components of Infection Prevention and Control provide the normative benchmark. Findings are expected to reveal higher knowledge scores among recently trained radiographers alongside age-related gaps in practice compliance. Recommendations address standardised infection control protocols specific to radiology environments, mandatory personal protective equipment training, and regular equipment bioburden audits at UPTH. Keywords: infection control, radiographers, standard precautions, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State.