The Status of Sharp Injury and Risk Factors among Health Care Staffs in the Bule Hora Hospital, South Ethiopia, 2020

Abstract

Background: Sharp injury is a penetrating cut wound from a needle or other sharp object which may additionally bring in contacting with blood or other body fluids of patients who may be having an infectious disease. Every year, more than half million of health care workers encounter needle stick injury that leads exposure to dangerous blood borne pathogens. This study was conducted to assess the magnitude of needle stick injury and contributing factors among health care staffs in the Bule Hora Hospital, south Ethiopia. Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was carried out from June20- July 30, 2020 among health care workers in the Bule Hora Hospital. The sample size for this study was 383. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were done. Statistical significance adjusted at P< 0.05. Results: Nearly half of 166(45.4%) of the study subjects had experienced Sharp injury. The activities mainly causinginjuries were; waste collection (37.5%), giving injection (29.2%), and uncooperativeness of the patients (9.7%). Study participants that had not got training on prevention of occupational risks were two times more likely exposed to sharp injuries, AOR=1.67(1.47- 3.53). Health care workers working > 40 hours per week were nearly four times more likely exposed, AOR=3.74(1.68-8.28) to sharp injury. Conclusion: Even though the magnitude of sharp injury was similar to the other studies, the prevalence in the study area was high. Lack of training and prolonged working hours were risk factors identified in this study for sharp injury, Therefore, health care workers should get training on prevention of workplace hazards and working hours must be regulated.