Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Regarding The Use Of Nebulizer Therapy Among Healthcare Professionals In South-South Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study
Keywords:
Aerosol therapy, Attitudes, Healthcare professionals, Knowledge, Nebulizer therapy, Nigeria, Practices, Respiratory diseasesAbstract
Nebulizer therapy is a widely employed modality for aerosol drug delivery in the acute and chronic management of obstructive airway diseases. Despite its clinical ubiquity in Nigerian healthcare settings, significant variability exists
among healthcare professionals in knowledge of appropriate indications, medication selection, administration practices and infection control considerations. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding nebulizer therapy among healthcare professionals in a community in Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 healthcare professionals recruited through purposive sampling from tertiary, secondary and private health facilities across Benin city, Edo state, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire comprising four thematic sections: respondent sociodemographics; knowledge of nebulizer indications and medications; attitudes towards clinical utility and patient training; and nebulizer therapy practices. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations ,were computed for all variables.n Multiple-response analysis was applied to items permitting selection of more than one option. The majority of respondents (95.7%) rated nebulizers as very effective for acute bronchospasm and 82.9% considered them very appropriate for outpatient asthma management. Self-assessed knowledge of nebulizer use was rated good by 73.8% of respondents, with medical school as the principal knowledge source (84.3%). Salbutamol was correctly identified by 200 respondents (95.2%), budesonide by 165 (78.6%) and ipratropium by 156 (74.3%); however, 53 respondents (25.2%) incorrectly endorsed antibiotics as a nebulizable agent. Nurses were identified as the primary nebulizer therapy administrators (93.3%). Formal protocols were available in only 19.0% of respondents' facilities. Cost (51.0%) and patient non-compliance (36.7%) were the most frequently cited barriers. Consistent follow-up to assess treatment response was performed by 51.0% of respondents. Healthcare professionals in Benin-city demonstrate broadly positive attitudes and generally adequate knowledge regarding nebulizer therapy, but exhibit significant gaps in antibiotic misconceptions, protocol availability, supervision consistency and systematic treatment follow-up. Targeted continuing medical education and institutional protocol development are urgently required.
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