The Prevalence of Needle sticks injuries among health care workers at a hospital in Tehran

Rasoul Yarahmadi, R. Abbaszadeh Dizaji, A. F Hossieni, A. A. Farshad, Sh. Bakand

Abstract


ABSTRACT
Needle stick injuries (NSIs) are one of the most significant and preventable hazards in relation to Healthcare workers (HCWs). Such injuries have been shown to be of high prevalence within developing countries. To determine the prevalence and circumstances pertaining to the occurrence of NSIs among HCWs employed at a special hospital. The study conducted was a cross-sectional study on HCWs and was carried out in one of Tehran's special hospitals in the year 2012. In this study, in order to identify and determine hazardous potential due to needle stick, HFMEA method was chosen. This resulted in the collection of 240 valid and reliable questionnaires. The validity and reliable nature of the questionnaires was confirmed by experts and by means of the test re-test method. The gathered data was analyzed with SPSS software, version 16.From the analysis of the data it was shown that, a total of 97 (40.42%) HCWs had suffered NSIs in the last year. The patient ward showed the highest prevalence of NSIs (47.42%) in the hospital. Nurses had the highest risk of suffering NSIs (56.7%) in comparison with the other occupational groups. All in all 175 NSIs occurred for the 240 HCWs trialed during the selected period of clinical practice. Of those that received injuries, only roughly 1 in 3 (38.14%) reported it to their infection control officer. Just over a quarter (26.80%) of the injured HCWs used post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against HIV. Almost all (88.75%) of the HCWs had received a safe injection course. In general, NSIs and their subsequent underreporting are commonplace among hospital healthcare professionals. Significantly, more than two-thirds of the injured HCWs did not use post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against HIV. Improved prevention and reporting strategies are needed if the occupational health and safety of healthcare workers is to improve.

Keywords


Injury, Needle stick, Healthcare workers (HCWs), Hospital

Full Text:

PDF

References


REFERENCES

Yang L, Mullan B. Reducing needle stick injuries in healthcare occupations: an integrative review of the literature. ISRN Nurs. 2011; 315-432.

The WHO Department of Vaccines and Biological in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Annual Meeting Report, p16. http://www.who.int/occupational_health/activities/5prevent.pdf. Accessed May 17, 2013 [3] World Health Organization. The World Health Report. Geneva, Switzerland. http://www.who.int/whr/2002/en/whr02_en.pdf,accessed 15may, 2002.

World Health Organization. Aide-Memoire for a Strategy to Protect Health Workers from Infection with Bloodborne Viruses. Health Workers from Infection with Bloodborne Viruses. Geneva,Switzerland. http://www.who.int/occupational_health/activities/1am_hcw.pdfaccessed November 2003.

Cardo D, Culver DH, Ciesielski CA, Srivastava PU, Marcus R, Abiteboul D5. A case control study of HIV seroconversion in health care workers after percutaneous exposure. N Engl J Med.337:1977: 1485-1490.

Ippolito G, Puro V, Heptonstall J, Jagger J, De Carli G, Petrosillo N. Occupational human immunodeficiency virus infection in health care workers: worldwide cases through September 1997. Clin Infect Dis. 1999; Feb.28 (2):365-83.

Hutin Y, Hauria A, Chiarello L. Best infection control practices for intradermal subcutaneous and intramuscular needle injections. Bull WHO, 2003; 81: 491-500.

Nagva F, Saadoan F. study of needle-stick injuries among health care worker in Kuwait. Bull.Alex.fac.2006. 42 NO 3.(8), 834-1110.

Elise M. Beltrami, Ian T. Williams, Craig N. Shapiro, Mary E. Chamberland . Risk and Management of Blood-Borne Infections in Health Care Workers. Clin Microbiol .2000;3: 385–407. [10] Wang, H and TaO, L . Current Situations and Challenges of Occupational Disease Prevention and Control in China. Industrial Health 2012. 50(2), 73–79.

Ng YW, Hassim IN. NSI among medical personnel in Accident and Emergency Department of two teaching hospitals. Medical Journal of Malaysia.2007;.62(1):9–12.

Hanafi MI, Mohamed AM, Kassem MS, Shawki M. Needle stick injuries among health care workers of university of Alexandria hospitals. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal .2011; 1: 26-35.

Trim JC, Elliott TS. A review of sharps injuries and preventative strategies. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2003; 53(4):237–42.

Lee JM, Botteman MF, Xanthakos N, Nicklasson L. NSIs in the United States. Epidemiologic, economic, and quality of life issues. Official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. 2005; 53(3):117–33.

Lakbala P, Ebadiazar F, Kamali H. Needlestick and sharps injuries among housekeeping workers in hospitals of Shiraz, Iran. BMC Research Notes.2012; 5:276.

Kohn WG, Harte JA, Malvitz DM, Collins AS, Cleveland JL, Eklund KJ .Guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings. J Am Dent Assoc. 2004;135(1):33-47.

Hutin YJ, Hauri AM, Armstrong GL: Use of injections in healthcare settings worldwide, 2000: Literature review and regional estimates. BMJ 2003; 327:1075.[18] Askarian M, Ghavanini AA: Survey on adoption of measures to prevent nosocomial infection by anaesthesia personnel. East Mediterr Health J .2002;8(2-3):416–21.




Iranian Journal of Health, Safety and Environment e-ISSN: :2345-5535 Iran university of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran