Medico-legal Update,e, January-March 2020, Vol.20, No. 1 165 Practice and Perceived Barriers among Health Care Workers to Control Infection in Dialysis Unit Jackline Prathibha 1 , Daisy Josphine Lobo 2 , Shalini G Nayak 3 , Vandana KE 4 1 Lecturer, MSc Nursing, 2 Associate Professor, MPhil Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, 3 Assistant Professor, MPhil Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, India, 4 Professor, Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, India Abstract Aim: Study investigated the practices and perceived barriers towards infection control measures among healthcare workers in the dialysis unit. Method: Descriptive survey design was adopted. Data was collected by administering checklist on barriers towards infection control measures in dialysis unit among 50 healthcare workers and 602 events on infection control measures in dialysis unit was observed using observation checklist. Findings: The study fndings revealed that majority of healthcare workers perceived that wash basin for hand washing is away from patient area, lack of appropriate staffng, high work load, washing agents cause irritation to my hands, nobody checks, too busy, not following infection control measures in dialysis unit as the barrier and healthcare workers were not following all the infection control measures in dialysis unit. Conclusions: This study indicates that majority healthcare workers did not follow infection control measures in dialysis unit. It is alarming and mandates the need for reinforcing the healthcare workers to follow the infection control measures which can prevented healthcare associated infections in the unit. Healthcare associated infection are the most common cause preventable infections in patients undergoing dialysis. Key words: Infection Control nursing, dialysis, practice, barriers, healthcare workers, hand hygiene, hospital infection management, reuse. Corresponding author: Daisy Josphine Lobo Associate Professor, MPhil Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, India. Phone. no- 9535687697 email- daisy.j@manipal.edu Introduction Patients on dialysis treatment has an increased risk for acquiring an infection because of the nature of complex dialysis process requiring frequent use of vascular access. Dialysis patients have weakened immune system which increases their risk for infection 1 . Approximately 2,250,000 patients worldwide are on maintenance dialysis 2. . In 2013, there were 9,09,000 Asians on dialysis 3. . Total admission rate in dialysis patient among Asians is 1,248. Mortality rate by primary cause of mortality in Asians septicemia is 6.5%, viral infections is 0.1% and 1.0% are other infections 4 . Dialysis patient and Healthcare Workers in the dialysis unit are at greater risk of blood borne pathogens such as Hepatitis C, hepatitis B and human immunodefciency virus. As the disease is not a curative but life sustaining patients undergoes dialysis in same centre for years repeatedly and also patients usually may have to be dialysed in three or four shifts everyday were in the unit of healthcare workers also go through the periods of extreme activity during which after termination of one shift of patients the next shift have their treatment would be initiated. In most of the dialysis unit the dialysis machine and patient bed are placed in proximity to each other along the walls and also the hand washing basins are usually located at a distance in the facility hence the DOI Number: 10.37506/v20/i1/2020/mlu/194317