Prevalence of Sharp Injuries and Associated Factors among Healthcare Workers in North Gondar (Debark), West Gondar (Metema), and South Gondar (Addis Zemen) Primary Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives: Occupation-related sharp injuries are a global problem; the death toll is around 2 million and is rising in low-income nations like Ethiopia. No information has been reported on sharp injuries in North and South Gondar primary hospitals and present study aims to determine the prevalence of sharp injuries among healthcare workers. Methods: A institutional crosssectional study conducted and 351 were randomly chosen. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data and analyzed with SPSS ver23. Bivariate analysis and Multiple logistic regression were used to understand confounding factors. Findings: The prevalence of sharp injuries among Healthcare workers (HCWs) lifetime and preceding 12 months were 131 (37.3%) and 86 (24.5%), respectively, of which 76 (58%) and 47 (54.65%) were reported by females. The chance of recurrent incidence of sharp injuries was more in operation theatre (37.5%). The primary source of injury was syringe needles 52 (42.5%). HCWs >10 years of work experience are more likely to experience sharp injuries compared to those less experience (<5 years) [AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: (0.21, 0.79)]. Never had any training on sharp injuries were more likely to report a sharp injury compared to those reported training [AOR: 0.55, 95% CI: (0.3, 1.024)]. Worked more than 48 hours/week reported more likely sustained sharp injuries [AOR: 0.95, 95% CI: (0.93, 0.98)]. HCWs dissatisfied with their work environment reported sharp injuries more than satisfied ones [AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: (0.2, 0.6)]. Similarly, having low [AOR: 0.26, 95% CI: (0.13, 0.56)] and moderate risk perception [AOR: 0.36, 95% CI: (0.19, 0.67)] significantly raised the odds of sharp injuries occurrence compared to a high-risk perception for sharp injuries. Novelty/conclusion: Present study showcases the moderate risk perception, work hours more than 48 h/week were the key factors identified, along with job dissatisfaction, lack of training and avoiding recapping may reduce the injury burden. Keywords: Amhara; Ethiopia; Hospital; Nurse; Occupational injury 1