| Summary: | Muluken Nigatu Selam,1 Aychew Mekuriaw Tegegne,2 Andualem Ababu,3 Motlalepula Matsabisa,4 Gebremariam Birhanu1,4 1Department of Pharmaceutics and Social Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 3Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Lead Executive Office, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 4Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300, South AfricaCorrespondence: Muluken Nigatu Selam, Department of Pharmaceutics and Social Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel +251912159807, Email muluken.nigatu@aau.edu.etBackground: Surface disinfection of healthcare facilities with appropriate disinfectants is among the infection control strategies against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As sodium hypochlorite solution (SHS) is a commonly used surface disinfectant, its preparation and proper use should be given a due attention. The current study aimed at assessing the practice of Addis Ababa public hospitals in the preparation and use of SHS.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was employed to assess the adequacy of disinfectant solution preparation and use. Checklists were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used for data analyses, and categorical variables were described by frequencies and percentages.Results: Out of the twelve public hospitals included in the study; only three hospitals checked the potency of the working SHS. Majority of the hospitals (8 hospitals) stored the concentrated SHS products in cool, dry, and direct sunlight protected places. It was only in one hospital where appropriate personal protective equipment was used during the preparation and quality control activities. Surfaces were not cleaned in all hospitals before disinfection; and the rooms were ventilated only in 2 hospitals during the application of the disinfectant solution.Conclusion: The study revealed that the preparations of SHS in the public hospitals did not comply with most of the requirements of good compounding practice. Moreover, standard practices were not maintained in majority hospitals during the use of SHS for surface disinfection. As a control strategy in the spread of COVID-19 and other infections, appropriate corrective actions shall be implemented in the studied hospitals to mitigate the limitations observed in the preparation and use of SHS.Keywords: compounding, COVID-19, disinfectants, proper use, public hospitals, sodium hypochlorite solution
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