History Of Needle Stick Injury Research Articles

Frequency and damage caused by sharp instruments and needle sticks among staff in a university hospital, Kerman, Iran

Objective: To determine the frequency and causes of injuries from sharp instruments contaminated by blood in hospital staff. Methods: The study was cross-sectional and conducted at an educational hospital supervised by Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2018. Using a researcher-made questionnaire, we determine the frequency and causes of injuries from sharp instruments contaminated by blood in 142 hospital staff. Results: Of the 142 patients, 68 persons (48%) did not have a history of needle stick injury, but 74 persons (52%) had suffered needle stick injury 1 to more than 5 times. Among those who suffered a needle stick, 74.3% were trained, while 70.7% of those who did not suffer needle stick had been trained. The results indicated that the needle was the most common sharp instrument causing needle stick injury. Conclusions: The study showed a high prevalence of needle stick injury among hospital personnel specifically in ICU, orthopaedic and surgery departments. Supportive measures such as improving injection practices, modification of working schedule, planning training programs targeted at using personal protective equipment, and an adequate number of safety facilities for the effective prevention of needle stick injury incidents are needed.

Assessment of doctors’ knowledge, attitude and practice for hepatitis C virus infection control guidelines in Egypt

IntroductionHepatitis C virus is a blood-borne infection and one of the major global problems. In Egypt, the prevalence is reported to be the highest. Infection through unsafe medical procedures is considered now the primary cause of infection. The study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of doctors regarding infection control guidelines in Ismailia governorate.Material and methodsA cross sectional study was conducted on a sample of physicians (355) in Ismailia governorate using a questionnaire to collect data on their knowledge and attitude concerning the control measures related to their years of experiences.ResultsMost of the physicians (89.6%) regardless of their years of experience have had contact with blood products. Those who had a history of needle stick injury accounted for 56.3%, with a statistically significant difference as to the highest number being middle career physicians. Concerning knowledge about infection control policies in their hospitals, it was relatively low among all groups.ConclusionsDespite all efforts exerted by the infection control professionals, infections still remain a major unpleasant side effect of health care, often causing harm to patients.. Although Egypt has made great progress in implementing the infection control procedures and policies, there is still a huge problem as the practices of physicians do not really reflect their knowledge and they still do not follow the infection control policies. Education, monitoring, improved availability of resources and disciplinary measures are necessary to improve infection control in health facilities that should be applied to all physicians.

The Frequency of Hepatitis C and its Risk Factors Among Health Care Providers at Tehsil Headquarter Hospital, Hasilpur, Pakistan.

IntroductionHepatitis C has emerged as a big challenge for Pakistan. Health care providers are at increased risk of being infected due to tremendous exposure.AimThe purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of hepatitis C, its risk factors especially its occupational risk factors and preventive measures practiced by health care providers of Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital, Hasilpur, Pakistan.Materials and methodsBlood samples were collected, and rapid chromatography strips were used for diagnostic purpose. A questionnaire was used for data collection. After analyzing the data, results were summarized.ResultsThe prevalence of Hepatitis was 5.17%. Those who used gloves were 67.24%. A history of needle stick injury was present in 47.41%, and 49.13% knew about the spread of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Just 18.96% knew about the treatment plan, and 19.83% had attended a workshop on preventive measures of infectious diseases in healthcare settings.ConclusionThe frequency of HCV among health care providers is high. Awareness programs and training workshops should be mandatory to increase knowledge about hepatitis C prevention. It will decrease the incidence of hepatitis C infection among health care workers.

Awareness of needle-stick injuries among health-care workers in a tertiary health-care center.

Context:Needle-stick injuries (NSIs) pose a great occupational risk of blood-borne disease transmission in health-care workers (HCWs). Diseases of primary significance include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.Aims:This study aimed to check the awareness regarding the health hazards associated with NSIs and awareness regarding postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and hepatitis B vaccination in HCWs.Settings and Design:This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care government hospital.Subjects and Methods:A sample size of 100 HCWs, which consisted of 20 residents, 20 interns, 20 lab assistants, 20 nurses, and 20 Class IV workers, was taken. A predefined questionnaire was used and answers were documented.Statistical Analysis Used:Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results:Out of the 100 HCWs enrolled in the study, 45% had a history of NSI during their career, the highest count was seen in Class IV workers i.e. 14 [70%]. Only 21% of the HCWs knew about the diseases transmitted by NSI. Only 30% of Class IV workers were aware of hepatitis B vaccination and none of them were vaccinated. Quite a good number of HCWs were aware regarding the first step to be undertaken in case of NSI. However, their knowledge regarding PEP was not up to the mark.Conclusions:NSIs were seen in all the categories of HCWs, but the awareness regarding health hazards due to NSI was inadequate. Except Class IV workers, rest of the HCWs were overall aware regarding hepatitis B vaccination. There is a need to give emphasis as regards to awareness of PEP in case of a NSI.

COMPLIANCE WITH VACCINATION AS AN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY MEASURE AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS AT AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS, CAIRO, EGYPT.

Introduction: Occupational safety and health is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the health, safety and welfare of people at work. Health care workers are at risk of exposure to vaccine preventable diseases. Employers and health care workers have a shared responsibility of preventing occupationally acquired infections and avoiding causing harm to patients by taking reasonable precautions to prevent transmission of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. Vaccination programs are hence essential in infection prevention and control of diseases among health care workers. Aim of work: To identify the percentage of vaccinated health care workers in our study population and describe the factors associated with compliance to vaccination as an occupational safety measure. Materials and methods: This is a cross sectional study including 320 health care workers; 100 physicians, 154 nurses and 66 cleaning services from Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt. All subjects filled an interview questionnaire including socio-demographic and occupational background questions, history of vaccination, attitude towards the importance of vaccines and causes fortaking or not taking recommended vaccines. Health education materials in the form of poster and brochures were distributed on a day assigned for visiting the hospital for that purpose including a message on the importance of taking recommended vaccines, easy accessibility to areas offering the vaccines and possible complications of nottaking the vaccines. Statistical analysis was done using frequency tables and chi square test. Informed consent was obtained from participants. Results: Most of the study participants were females, nurses, from Internal Medicine department with mean work duration of 14 years. About half of the sample reported that they took recommendedvaccines on time. The most common vaccines received by study population were hepatitis B and meningococcal vaccines. Most participants had a positive attitude towards vaccination as regards its importance and effectiveness. Job nature, level ofeducation, positive history of needle stick injuries and attendance of training courses on vaccine importance are significantly associated with positive history of receiving recommended vaccines on time. Conclusion: Raising the awareness of health care workers on the importance of taking recommended vaccines for the safety of themselvesand their patients is highly needed.

Immune response to hepatitis B vaccine among north Iranian healthcare workers and its related factors.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important occupational risk among healthcare workers (HCWs). Vaccination is the most cost-effective method of preventing and controlling HBV infection. Several factors have been suggested to effect response to the vaccine. The present study aimed to evaluate vaccine response among north Iranian HCWs and to determine the factors influencing vaccine response. Response to the standard three-dose vaccination regimen was evaluated in term of anti-hepatitis B surface antigen level among 1,010 HCWs using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Logistic regression was applied to predict antibody response, with related factors including sex, age, years of working experience, marital status, history of transfusion, smoking, history of needle stick injury, rheumatic disease, steroid use, and elapsed time from vaccination measurement. Of the 1,010 HCWs, 898 (88.9%) acquired protective levels of antibody (> 10 IU/mL). Compared with those < 30 years of age, HCWs older than 50 years and between 40 and 50 years of age were more likely to have non-protective anti-HBs levels (odds ratio = 4.48; p = 0.001 and odds ratio = 1.85; p = 0.03, respectively). HBV vaccine efficacy and immune response were satisfactory among north Iranian HCWs. Since it is predicted that anti-HBs levels decrease with aging, testing for anti-HBs titer is desirable for HCWs older than 50 years of age.

A cross sectional study to evaluate needle stick injuries among health care workers in Malabar medical college, Calicut, Kerala, India

Background: Percutaneous injuries caused by needle sticks pose a significant risk of blood borne pathogens among health care workers. Many factors are involved in transmission of infections like HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C such as overuse of injections, lack of disposable syringes, safer needle devices, sharps disposal containers, passing instruments from hand to hand, lack of awareness and adequate training. Needle stick injuries (NSI) are under reported, this study helps to know the causes and other factors related to NSI for effective prevention. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among all health care workers who consented to participated in the study in July 1st to July 31st 2016. 514 health workers were interviewed and given a pre-detested, semi-structured questionnaire was given to elicit information regarding the factors for causation ofNSI and its effective prevention. Results: 21.1% (108) of the health care workers had NSI. 45.4% were interns, followed by nursing staff (26.8%). 55.5% (60) had history of NSI while performing any surgeries or assisting procedures. Majority of them knew about the transmission of HIV (100%), Hepatitis B (99.1%) and Hepatitis C (81.4%) and Malaria (20.3). NSI reporting was observed at 46.2%. 88.2% (90) of them had completed their 3 dose schedule of hepatitis B vaccine, 48% (52) had received training on universal precautions. Conclusions: NSI was seen more among interns and nursing staff. They had good knowledge regarding the diseases transmission due to NSI and Vaccination. Effective periodic training on universal precautions can prevent NSI.

Prevalence of needle sticks injury and its associated factors among Health Care Workers in Bahir Dar city Health Centers, Northwest Ethiopia

It is important for HCWs to remember that over 20 pathogens have been reportedly transmitted from needle stick injuries. The most serious are the transmission of Hepatitis C virus, Hepatitis B virus and Human immunodeficiency virus. World Health organization report showed that 16,000 HCV, 66,000 HBV & 1000 HIV may have occurred worldwide. Two million needle stick injuries are reported in health care providers every year. This study was institution based cross-sectional study conducted in 10 Bahir Dar City public health centres from June to October 2014. 194 health care workers were selected using cluster followed by systematic random sampling technique. Data has been collected using pre tested self-administered questionnaire. The collected data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS statistical software version 20. Bi-variate logistic regression model was used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables and P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among 194 study participants, 83 (42.8%) participants showed history of needle stick injuries. Needle stick injuries were higher in outpatient departments and emergency unit, 59 (30%) and delivery room 40 (20.6%). The proportion of needle stick injuries were higher among health officers 16/30 (53.3%). The major item cause for needle stick injuries were syringe with needle, 55/83 (66%) and the most injured body part were fingers 58/83 (70.7%). In conclusion, significant proportion of health care workers experienced needle sticks injuries. Therefore, ongoing training and supervision should be given to curb the situation in the study area.

Frequency of Needle Stick Injury among Dental Students and Dentists of Karachi

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the frequency of needle stick injury in dental practice and to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of the dental students and dentists regarding needle stick injuries prevention. Materials and methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken at eight different institutes of Karachi from July 2014 to March 2015. Data were collected in 800-sample questionnaire forms that comprised of ten questions in English language. Questionnaire was designed to obtain information regarding frequency, awareness and prevention of needle stick injury. Data were entered and analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20. Result A total of 800 samples were returned with a 100% response rate. About 73% participants gave a history of needle stick injury during practice. Of these 42% were the house officers. It was reported that knowledge regarding vaccination against hepatitis B was prevalent among participants. Most of the participants agreed that they have received guidelines regarding prevention and protection from needle stick injury. Conclusion It was concluded from this study that hepatitis B vaccination is necessary to prevent needle stick injury and proper instruments/guidelines should be given to all health related professionals in order to minimize the risk of bloodborne infections through needle stick injury. How to cite this article Ikram K, Siddiqui HK, Maqbool S, Altaf M, Khan S. Frequency of Needle Stick Injury among Dental Students and Dentists of Karachi. World J Dent 2015;6(4): 213-216.

Comments on Behavior of Healthcare Workers After Injuries From Sharp Instruments

Dear Editor, I read the recently published article by Adib-Hajbaghery et al. (1) in your journal with interest. Healthcare workers (HWCs) are at high risk of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmitted through blood and infected fluids; the infected staff can transfer these viruses to uninfected patients while providing services (2). Adib-Hajbaghery et al. (1) reported that around 90% of the enrolled cases had received hepatitis B vaccination. The authors did not present any data regarding the postvaccination anti-HBs antibody titres. According to the standard precautions for infection control, all HWCs susceptible to the infection should be identified and immunized to reduce the morbidity rate; thus the evaluation of anti-HBs antibody level is mandatory. HWCs, particularly those working in the emergency departments, operating rooms and hemodialysis centers are considered as high-risk groups (2). In addition to HBV infection, the HWCs are occupationally at the risk of HCV infection (3). Unfortunately, there is no passive or active prevention for HCV infections and HCWs should be more cautious and apply the standard of health precautions at work. Adib-Hajbaghery et al. (1) showed that more than 50% of the people injured with sharp instruments did not follow the standard precautions. Compression and washing the area with soap and water cannot prevent HBV and HCV infections. In their study group, 38.3% had a history of needle-stick injury, or injuries with sharps within the last six months. A higher rate of exposure was reported in the study on HCWs by Shokuhi et al. (4), occupational exposure to blood and body fluids of patients was reported in 53.4% of cases (4). In the study conducted by Shokuhi et al., 25.8% of HWCs with a history of needle-stick injury or mucosal exposure to HBs Ag (+) patients' blood or body fluid, received hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) within the first 72 hours after exposure. History of vaccination, and assurance about the effective serum antibody titer were the most common reasons that the individuals did not receive HBIG (56.5%) (4). Finally, I would like to emphasize on the necessity to educate HWCs especially the operating room nurses and midwives who are at the high risk of needle-stick, and sharps injuries. More education about the prevention of repeated injuries is critical for this high-risk group (2, 4). There is a need for further research to investigate why many HWCs do not take prophylactic and essential actions after needle stick injury or mucosal exposure to body fluids of infected patients, and why the health systems do not appreciate the importance of this issue in HWCs (4).

English

INTRODUCTION: Needle stick injuries are one of the greatest risks faced by the front line healthcare workers in the light of HIV/ AIDS, Hepatitis B and C. Yet, these exposures have often been considered as part of the job and neglected. OBJECTIVE : 1. To study prevalence of needle stick injury among health care workers of a private tertiary care hospital. 2. To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of needle stick injury among them. METHODOLOGY : Hospital based cross sectional study was carried out with preformed pretested questionnaire on all (42) health care workers of a private tertiary care hospital. RESULTS: Results showed that out of 42 subjects 35(83.3%) had a history of needle-stick injury but only 11% reported the injuries to the hospital authority and received PEP prophylaxis against HIV. Only 11 HCW's (26.2%) were aware about where to report the NSI incident. 4.8% and 95.3% of health care workers, respectively, were unaware of the fact that hepatitis B and hepatitis C can be transmitted by needle-stick injuries. Only 21.5% were in the habit of using gloves for phlebotomy procedures all the time. 40.5% were of the impression that needle should not be recapped after use but 21.5% of them didn't implement it. Only 38.1% were aware of Universal Precaution Guidelines. 18 subjects (42.9%) had been vaccinated against hepatitis B; while 26 subjects (47.6%) were not vaccinated against hepatitis B.23 subjects (54.8%) knowing their HBsAg status. Majority of HCW (95.3%) were demanding training and awareness of NSI. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that knowledge among health care workers about the risk associated with needle-stick injuries and use of preventive measures was inadequate. Standard operating procedure (SOP) should be formulated and followed by them.

Poor uptake of hepatitis B immunization amongst hospital-based health care staff

The uptake of hepatitis B vaccine was assessed amongst 100 medical and 100 nursing staff in a teaching hospital with a policy of recommending to those at risk that they should seek immunization from their general practitioners. Sixteen per cent of nurses and 31% of doctors had completed a course of immunization with confirmation of seroconversion. An additional 9% and 18% respectively had been immunized without post-immunization serology. Ninety three per cent of nurses and 61% of doctors who had not been immunized would like to receive the vaccine. The commonest reasons for non-immunization amongst nurses were fear of vaccine and lack of advice, and amongst doctors, apathy and difficulty in obtaining the vaccine. Eighty seven per cent of medical staff and 57% of nurses had a history of needle stick injury. The low rates of vaccine uptake in this study combined with the high incidence of needle stick injury calls for a reappraisal of present hepatitis B vaccination programmes in hospitals. In particular the abrogation of responsibility for immunization to general practitioners is probably a major disincentive to potential vaccines.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus among Health Care Workers

Context: Hepatitis C virus is one of the leading causes of liver disease and represents a major public health problem. It is a common cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as the most common reason for liver transplantation. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out during the period of April 2007 to April 2008 among health care workers including phlebotomists, dialysis staffs and laboratory personnel handling blood and blood products. Total 200 health care workers from phlebotomists working at one stop collection centre of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Dialysis staff working at haemodialysis units of BSMMU, Bangladesh Institute of Rehabilitation for Diabetes, Endocrine &amp; Metabolic Diseases (BIRDEM), DMCH, National Institute of Kidney Diseases &amp; Urology (NIKDU) had at least more than one year working exposure was enrolled in this study. After taking informed written consent detailed history was taken, clinical examination was done. 0.3 ml of venous blood was collected from each patient and tested for anti HCV by commercial kit, confirmed by ELISA method. Result: Among 200 patients majority (55.5%) of patients were below 30 years of age and there was equal prevalence among male and female. Out of 200 health care workers 1% was found to be anti HCV positive. All positive patient had duration of exposure of &gt;5 years and had history of needle stick injury. Key words: Hepatitis C virus; seroprevalence; health care workers. DOI: 10.3329/jdmc.v18i1.6310 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2009; 18(1) : 70-74