Epidemiology Of Needlestick Injuries Research Articles

Needle Stick Injuries among Health Care Workers in AL-Madinah AL-Munawara Governmental Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Needle stick injuries are a dangerous occupational hazard that threatens health care workers with serious consequences in many cases. Because of inadequate reporting of these incidents, the true magnitude of the problem is unknown. The study’s aim was to investigate the epidemiology of needle stick injuries (NSIs) among health care workers in Al Madinah Al Munawara, Saudi Arabia. 
 
 METHODS: A representative sample of health care workers (n=268) were randomly selected from emergency departments of three general hospitals in Al Madinah Al Munawara for a cross-sectional study, and 219 responded to a predesigned questionnaire reflecting exposure to NSI, reporting, post-exposure reactions, and knowledge about NSIs.
 
 RESULTS: Almost one third of the participating medical professionals 70 (32%) had been exposed to stick injury during work. One half of the needles (52.9%) were blood stained. Nurses are significantly more likely to have stick injury (38.6%) followed by physicians (30.4%) if compared to laboratory technicians (13.9%) at the p-value of less than 0.05. The main purposes during injuries were drawing blood sample 33 (47.1%), injection 31 (44.3%) and suturing 23 (32.9%). Almost all injured personnel (97.1%) cleaned the injury site immediately and thoroughly. Out of the injured personnel, 50 (71.4%) reported the incident to authorities. A significantly higher proportion of physicians (91.3%) achieved above average score if compared to both lab technicians (72.2%) and nurses (76.3%) at the p-value of less than 0.05.
 
 CONCLUSION: Occupational needle stick injuries are fairly common among health care workers at Al Madinah Al Munawara’s governmental hospitals. In hospitals, deliberate efforts should be made to ensure adherence to safety guidelines governing needle stick injuries.

Epidemiology of Needlestick Injuries Among Healthcare Workers in Tehran, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Healthcare workers (HCW) such as medical, dental, nursing and midwifery workers are at high risk for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV through sharp injuries of needlestick. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among healthcare workers in Milad hospital in Tehran, Iran, from 2007 to 2011 and investigate the related factors of needle sticking in the hospital in order to decrease the risk of infectious diseases transmission due to needlestick injury. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed among healthcare workers including nursing staff, physicians, gynecologist, laboratory staff, cleaners and garbage collectors in Milad hospital in Tehran, Iran, over a five-year period from 2007 to 2011. All of the NSIs data was obtained from infection control committee in Milad hospital. Questionnaire sheets were filled up and all of the information was rechecked one more time by experts. The information included demographic questions and NSI related questions. Vaccination for HBV and titer of hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) were recorded. The association between demographic and needlestick characteristics was tested through working shifts. Results: In the current study, 608 out of 3806 hospital staff including 209 (34.3%) male and 399 (65.7%) female had NSIs over a five-year period in Milad hospital. Most of the NSIs was observed in enrolled nurse, nursing sister and midwife groups 308 (50.7%) followed by servants 122 (20.1%) and the lowest was found in laboratory staff 14 (2.3%). Staff who worked in the internal medicine ward 95 (15.6%), emergency ward 72 (11.8%) and intensive care unit (ICU) 58 (9.5%) had experienced NSIs. There were uniform time patterns of NSIs by working shifts; therefore, the lowest number of the injuries occurred in the start of working shift (7:00 am, 01:00 pm and 07:00 pm) and increased along the time. Most of the NSIs occurred through taking blood and injection 182 (29.9%). Compared to NSI data by working shift, the greater number of the injuries occurred in the evening and night, but it was not statistically significant through needlestick characteristics (P value > 0.05). Conclusions: Nurses are at the highest risk for NSIs and servants the second. Staff training, proper use of protective equipment, proper disposal of infectious waste and vaccination of all staff against HBV might be effective measures towards reduction of the number of NSIs.

Epidemiology and risk factors of needle stick injuries

Epidemiology and risk factors of needle stick injuries

Epidemiology of Needlestick Injuries and Appropriate Deployment of Sharpes Containers and Needle-safe Sivices

Epidemiology of Needlestick Injuries and Appropriate Deployment of Sharpes Containers and Needle-safe Sivices

Epidemiology of needlestick injuries among health-care workers in Awassa City, Southern Ethiopia

Accidental needlestick injuries sustained by health-care workers are a common occupational hazard and a public health issue in health-care settings. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted and 30.9% of health-care workers had experienced at least one needlestick injury in the previous year.

The epidemiology of needle stick injuries among health care workers in a newly developed country

Objective The main objective of the study is to characterize the epidemiology of needle-stick injuries (NSI) of health care workers (HCWs) working at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha. Design This is a prospective descriptive study among the health care workers on the details of needle stick injuries in the year 2001. Setting 1357-bed three tertiary hospitals of the Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. Subjects and methods During the year 2001, a survey was carried out among health care workers working in the three tertiary care hospitals. Of the 1274 HCWs who were approached to participate in this study, 1022 workers responded to the questionnaire on needle stick injury with a response rate of 80.2%. Face to face interviews were conducted on the recruited subjects based on a questionnaire that included variables on age, socio-demographic status and immunization history of studied subjects. Results Of the total studied subjects (1022), 214 studied subjects (20.9%) were victims of the needle stick injuries. 911 HCWs (89.1%) from the total had been vaccinated against hepatitis B (HBV). Higher percentage of sharp injuries occurred among 148 female HCWs (69.2%) than males (30.8%). Percentage of incidence of sharp injuries occurred were more among 10 specialists (25%) and 10 residents (25%) than consultants (12.5%). The highest incidence of episodes of needle stick injuries occurred in the area of specialty such as 28 workers in medicine (13.1%), 20 in laboratory (9.3%) and 19 in emergency (8.9%) followed by 17 in pediatric (7.9%). 195 of 214 HCWs (91.1%) who had sharp injuries had taken HBV vaccination. But, the rest of the 19 HCWs (8.9%) had neglected HBV vaccination. Conclusion The present study revealed that sharp injuries constitute a considerable proportion of NSI incidents (21%) and could pose the greatest risk of blood borne virus transmission. It could be the reason that the HCWs fully knew of the risk but impediments to prevention of NSIs exist. This could be a topic for further research in the future.

Needle stick injuries in health care - frequency, causes und preventive strategies

Healthcare workers (HCW) are at risk for infections with blood-borne pathogens - especially hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - resulting from occupational blood-exposure trough injuries with sharp instruments and needle sticks. Results of a study on the epidemiology of needle stick injuries (NSI) among HCW in two German hospitals indicate that 500,000 NSI occur annually in Germany. Most of these injuries occur during disposal of used syringes and "recapping". Administration of the post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended for HCW who are occupationally exposed to HBV (vaccine/immunoglobulin) and HIV (antiretroviral drugs) i.e. the immediately reporting of blood exposure is very important. Comprehensive programmes to prevent NSI - e.g. avoiding of recapping, use of disposal containers, surgical gloves and in particular safety devices - minimize a high cost of NSI due to the administration of PEP, developing of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Epidemiology of Needlestick Injuries in House Officers

Eighty-eight medical students, interns, and residents were surveyed to study the epidemiology of their percutaneous exposures to blood. Respondents described 159 injuries in 221 person-years (py) of exposure in hospital wards and 213 injuries in 166 py of exposure in operating rooms. Nearly all injuries (greater than 98%) were needlesticks; less than 5% were reported to occupational health services. Rates of ward-related injury were highest for students (0.97/py) and decreased during training. Most injuries were due to recapping of used needles. In contrast to ward-related injury, rates of operating room-related injury were relatively low for nonsurgical students and interns (0.3/py), higher for surgical students (1.36/py), and stable over surgical residency training (mean, 5.4/py). Virtually all surgical injuries occurred during suturing. Further research into mechanisms of needlestick injuries and product design for their prevention are needed.

Epidemiology of needle-stick injuries in hospital personnel

Accidental needle sticks sustained by hospital personnel account for many hospital-related injuries, but little information is available dealing with risk factors amenable to control. We reviewed 316 reported needle stick injuries—accounting for one third of all workrelated accidents—occurring in employees of pur hospital over a 47-month period from 1975 to 1979. Housekeeping (127.0 cases per thousand employees annually) and laboratory personnel (104.7 per thousand) experienced the highest incidence of needle-stick injuries, followed by registered nurses (92.6 per thousand), but 60 percent of all injuries occurred in nursing personnel. Physicians rarely reported needle-stick injuries. Most injuries occurred during disposal of used needles (23.7 percent of all injuries), during the administration of parenteral injections or infusion therapy (21.2 percent), drawing blood (16.5 percent), recapping needles after use (12.0 percent), or handling linens or trash containing uncapped needles (16.1 percent). Sixty percent of the personnel who reported a needle puncture injury sought emergency room treatment where management was variable. The total cost of needle puncture injuries in our hospital over a 27month period was $6,331. We recommend not recapping used needles and making widely available and promoting use of an efficient needle disposal system. All hospital personnel, including physicians, are urged to report needle-stick injuries to the hospital's Employe Health Service where evaluation and management can be effected most consistently by established protocols.