Prevalence Of Needlestick Injuries Research Articles

Exposure to needlestick injury among healthcare support staff in Greater Accra, Ghana: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study aims to determine the prevalence and predisposing factors of a needlestick injury (NSI) among healthcare support staff in the Greater Accra region, Ghana.MethodsAn analytical cross-sectional survey was carried...

Incidence of Needle Stick Injuries and Behavior After Injuries Among Nurses in Sulaimani Hospitals

Background: Needle-stick injuries cause occupational health and safety challenges for healthcare workers on a global scale. Needle-stick injuries can potentially expose individuals to dangerous blood-borne pathogens. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of needle stick injuries and their main causes, as well as the nurse’s behavior after being injured by needle stick injuries. Methods: A self-reported cross-sectional study was conducted in Sulaimani city governmental and non-governmental tertiary hospitals in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The data was collected by constructing a questionnaire form from 300 nurses who provide medical care by non-probability convenience sampling from October 1, 2022, to March 1, 2023. Results: 74.3% of the 223 nurses who participated in the study experienced needle stick injuries. The needle syringe (88.7%) was the most common tool involved. The sterilization of wound area 48.9% was the number-ranked action of the nurses after injury, followed by pushing the injured area 28.4% to drain blood. Most of the nurses did not receive post-injury prophylaxes (57.4%) or send their blood to additional tests (73.1%). Conclusions: Syringe needles were a major cause of the needle sticks, which injured three out of four participants. Additionally, the nurses' top priority after receiving a needle stick was to sterilize the exposed portion of the wounds.

Awareness, Perception, and Practice Regarding Needle-Stick Injury and Its Prevention Among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India.

Background Needle stick injuries caused by various sharp and other items like hypodermic needlesand intravenous cannulas are important occupational hazards for healthcare workers (HCW). Preventing injuries is the most effective way to protect workers and requires good awareness and perceptions associated with practice on a daily basis. Therefore, we did a descriptive cross-sectional study involving healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital to find the level of awareness, perception, and practice associated with needle stick injury and its prevention. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, in south India. 400 healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, technicians, and housekeeping staff) with more than one year of experience were randomly selected. An anonymous, self-reporting, semi-structured questionnaire was administered. Results are expressed in mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentages. Results Out of 400 respondents, 89% had good awareness about proper disposal practices. However,44% of the participants had the misbelief that recapping needles was recommended to prevent needle stick injury (NSI), and 30.5% practiced it, with the doctors being the majority. The majority (79.8%) knew that HIV, Hepatitis B & C are blood-borne pathogens that HCWs are most commonly exposed to through needle-stick injury (NSI). However, only 49% knew that Hepatitis B has the highest risk of transmission following a needle prick. 75% were aware of the correct Hepatitis B vaccination doses. Most of the healthcare workers (89.5%) claimed to be aware of the procedure and guidelines to be followed after a needle stick injury and 96% felt that they would report NSI immediately. Awareness regarding Hepatitis C prevention was comparatively poor, with only 47% having knowledge regarding the non-availability of Hepatitis C Vaccination and& 46% about the non-availability of post-exposure prophylaxis for Hepatitis C. Among the healthcare workers, 61% were worried about having needle stick injuries but 56.5% felt that their own personal safety is secondary to patient care. Among the HCWs, 91.3% believed that needle stick injuries can be prevented. Most of the participants (93.5%) ensure that others around them take extra precautions while handling sharp/ needles. The majority, i.e. 88%, utilized a designated container for disposal of sharp items, whileonly 53% of respondents utilized a needle cutter or shredder. 85% of HCWs had attended specific training programs on the usage of safe devices/sharps in the preceding one-year period and 72.8% had completed the vaccination against Hepatitis B. Conclusion Awareness regarding needle stick injury and its prevention is patchy and not adequate across different sections of healthcare workers. Perceptions regarding needle stick injury and its prevention revealed an overall positive attitude. Practices related to needle stick injury and its prevention seem to be reasonably good except when related to recapping and waiting to dispose of until the completion of the session. Training sessions need to be tailored for specific participant groups and a 'one size fits all' philosophy cannot be followed.

Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury and its Management Practices among Medical MBBS Interns: A Hospital based Cross Sectional Study from Central India

Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury and its Management Practices among Medical MBBS Interns: A Hospital based Cross Sectional Study from Central India

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE ABOUT NEEDLE STICK INJURY TOWARDS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT AMONG CLINICAL STUDENTS AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN CYBERJAYA, MALAYSIA

Introduction: Needle stick injury has been proven to be one of the modes of transmitting blood-borne viruses. Previous studies showed a high prevalence of needle stick injury among medical students duringclinical activities due to a lack of knowledge. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of needle stick injury among clinical students and the association between knowledge-attitude and knowledge-practice of needle stick injury. Methods:An online descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical medical students at the University of Cyberjaya and the sample was selected using convenience sampling. Results:The majority of the respondents were female (70.9%) and year 4 students (51.7%). Only 8.6% of the respondents experienced needle stick injuries. The tasks performed during injury are mostly disposal of needles (3.3%) and recapping needles (3.3%). The perceived cause of the injury is mostly due to lack of experience (4.6%). The majority of the respondents had a satisfactory level of knowledge (84.1%), and a satisfactory level of attitude (84.8%), and almost half of them had an average or poor level of practice (42.4%). However, there was no significant association between the level of knowledge and level of attitude and level of knowledge and level of practice (p>0.05).Conclusion:The majority of clinical medical students had a satisfactory level of knowledge and attitude towards needle stick injury whereas the level of practice among them was a matter of concern. Therefore, adequate interventions toward needle stick injury precautions are needed to improve the level of practice among clinical medical students.

A simple technical innovation to prevent needle stick injuries among dental professionals.

Dental healthcare personnel face the potential danger of being exposed to infectious patients while administering local anesthesia injections during dental operations. This could lead to unintentional transfer of infectious diseases from patients to physicians. Although safety measures such as the One-hand-scoop technique and the use of safety syringes, plastic needle cap holders, and needles with safety caps are in place, there have been instances of needle stick injuries reported in clinics. This might be due to the lack of adherence to conventional safety measures or the impracticality of safety techniques and safety syringes. This article aims to demonstrate the utilization of dental tweezers, specifically London College tweezers or dental forceps, for the secure recapping of needles, eliminating the requirement for extra equipment or devices. After obtaining ethical approval (Approval No.: 024-01-2024) from the College of Dentistry, Dar Al Uloom University, 67 dental professionals, with consent for participation in the study, were included. They were requested to use dental tweezers/London College tweezers and dental extraction forceps such as maxillary anterior, mandibular anterior, and maxillary bayonet root forceps individually to recap the local anesthetic needles. The efficacy of these techniques was evaluated against the one-hand scoop technique for its ease, convenience, and reliability in preventing needle stick injuries. The evaluation of dental professionals regarding the ease of using dental tweezers to recap needles, compared to the one-hand scoop technique (p=0.592), maxillary bayonet root forceps (p=0.746), mandibular anterior forceps (p=0.380), and maxillary anterior forceps (p=0.808), did not yield statistically significant results. The assessment of the procedural simplicity of the one-hand scoop technique showed a satisfaction rate of over 40%, whereas the application of dental tweezers resulted in a satisfaction rate of 30%. However, the use of dental tweezers for needle recapping resulted in a satisfaction rate of over 50%, compared to a satisfaction rate of 30% for the one-handed scoop technique. There is no statistically significant difference in the assessment of the efficacy of dental tweezers and the one-hand scoop technique, bayonet root forceps, mandibular anterior forceps, maxillary anterior forceps, and dental tweezers for the needle capping technique. Therefore, dental forceps can be used instead of the one-handed scoop approach. The needle recapping procedure outlined in our study, aimed at preventing needle stick injuries, is simple to implement, and all dental specialties have convenient access to the required instruments.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices about Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Personnel in Primary Healthcare Centers in Western Maharashtra

Background: The absence of proper waste management, lack of awareness about the health hazards of biomedicalwastes, and poor control of waste disposal pose the most critical problems. It is essential for healthcare workersto have the knowledge, practice, and safe method for biomedical waste handling. Our objective is to assess theknowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) about BMW management among healthcare workers working at PHCin rural health areas.Methods: The present community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among the healthcare personnelin primary healthcare centers in randomly selected Taluka of Western Maharashtra. For this questionnaire-basedcross-sectional study, a questionnaire was designed which includes,relevant aspects of BMW Management likeknowledge about various types of biomedical waste, its disposal in various color-coded bags, and its transport.Through the one-to-one interview, information was obtained as per the questionnaire. Data entry was done in aMicrosoft Excel sheet and analysis was done. Proportion & percentage were used to interpret the result.Conclusions: There was a lack of knowledge regarding segregation & transmission of diseases through BMWamong sanitary staff. It also shows that enough precautions were not being taken for preventing needle stickinjuries among nurses and sanitary staff.

Prevalence of Needlestick Injuries among Iranian Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis.

Injuries caused by sharp objects are a major health risk for nurses. These injuries can be extremely dangerous and lead to various diseases. The purpose of this study was to establish the pooled prevalence of Needle Stick Injuries (NSIs) among nurses in Iran. This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eligible articles were searched from five electronic databases (Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) and one search engine. A random effects model was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence. The heterogeneity of the sample was tested using the I2 index, and the meta-regression function was used to evaluate variables suspected of heterogeneity at the 0.05 significance level. Finally, 21 articles were analyzed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (ver. 2.2.064). Based on the random-effects model, the frequency of NSIs among Iranian nurses is 18.70% (95% CI: 15.10%-22.90%). The highest frequency is recorded in a teaching hospital in Tehran in 2007 (19.80%; 95% CI: 16.40%-23.70%), and the lowest frequency was recorded in a teaching hospital in Tehran in 2008 (17.90%; 95% CI: 14.60%-21.80%). Sample size, mean age, and work experience were significantly associated with and mean and frequency of NSIs in nurses (p < 0.05). NSIs occur in about one-fifth of nurses in Iranian hospitals. In addition to its cost burden, the increase in NSIs has negative consequences for nurses. Therefore, health policymakers and managers must take serious action to reduce these injuries.

FMEA-based risk management improves the ability of oral healthcare personnel to prevent needlestick injuries.

To explore the application value of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method in the risk management of needlestick injuries among oral healthcare personnel. A total of 37 healthcare workers from the dental department of Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, were selected as study subjects. Routine risk management procedures were followed from January 2021 to December 2021, serving as the control group, while FMEA-based risk management was implemented from January 2022 to December 2022, representing the research group. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) was calculated, and interventions were implemented for the top five identified failure modes. The RPN score, incidence of needlestick injuries, healthcare personnel's knowledge and awareness levels, prevention behavior, and rate of satisfaction with management were compared between the two groups. FMEA-based risk management identified weak knowledge of protection, disorganized placement of sharp instruments, failure to adhere to operational standards, improper operational procedures, and insufficient regulations for preventing needlestick injuries as the top five failure modes. The RPN scores for these modes were significantly lower in the research group (P<0.05). The research group also experienced a lower frequency and incidence of needlestick injury (P<0.05), along with higher levels of healthcare knowledge, awareness of prevention, and prevention behavior (P<0.05). Additionally, satisfaction with management was higher in the research group compared to the control group (P<0.05). FMEA-based risk management can improve the ability of oral healthcare personnel to prevent needlestick injury, reduce the occurrence of such incidents, and enhance satisfaction with management. This approach holds promise for wider adoption.

Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury among Healthcare Workers in Savelugu Municipal Hospital

Introduction: Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 28 million HIV-positive individuals, and over 95% of HIV infections occur in poor nations there. In Ghana, there are no official mechanisms in place that allow individuals to report Needle Stick Injuries (NSIs) and receive advice specific to occupational health. Health care management does not prioritize it because of financial restrictions, and HCWs have not yet recognized it as a significant problem. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of needle stick injuries among staff at Savelugu Hospital.&#x0D; Methods: Savelugu Hospital health trainees provided data for a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Three hundred and thirty-three health professionals were interviewed using the closed-ended and open-ended questionnaire. A simple random sampling method was employed to select research participants. A 95% confidence level was applied to all statistical analyses, and a P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.&#x0D; Findings: The age distribution is 34.00 with a standard deviation of 6.3. Of the 122, more over half (55.2%) were nurses, and 96.6 percent had infection prevention control (IPC) training. The majority of respondents (87.2%) reported having sustained a needle stick injury; 62.1% of those who suffered NSI did so using a hypodermic needle. According to the study, needle stick injuries were significantly correlated with age (p=0.031), sex (p=0.045), and highest educational status (p=0.004). The following are contributing factors to needle stick injuries: lack of guidelines on handling healthcare sharps (65.0%), poor housekeeping (20.7%), overuse of medical sharps (36.9%), unsafe medical sharps (36.9%), inadequate supply of barrier products (57.1%), unclear work procedure (57.1%), and unsafe practices (68.5%).&#x0D; In conclusion: our study showed that among healthcare workers at Savelugu Hospital, NSIs were highly prevalent. The majority of NSIs were caused by hypodermic needles, one of the common sharps used in hospitals, and most responders had suffered an injury between one and two times in the past. Needlestick injuries were correlated with age, sex, and educational attainment.

Direct Care Nurses' Needlestick Injury Experiences: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Even when education and the use of safety equipment are emphasized, nurses frequently experience needlestick injuries. Understanding the risk situations and coping mechanisms for needlestick injuries experienced by nurses facilitates their prevention. We aimed to explore and describe the phenomenon of needlestick injuries through the research questions: (1) What causes nurses to suffer from needlestick injuries? (2) How to cope after a needlestick injury? and (3) What are the recommendations for needlestick injury prevention? This qualitative descriptive study involved focus group interviews with 31 direct care nurses in 6 groups who had experienced needlestick injuries while working in different acute care hospitals across 3 regions in South Korea. Data were collected from January 29 to March 29, 2022, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The average age of the participating nurses was 29.7 years. The following 3 themes were identified: various needlestick injury experiences, post-needlestick injury coping, and expectations regarding needlestick injuries. Risk situations and coping mechanisms of nurses who experienced needlestick injuries were diverse. Emergency situations and novice nurses were the causes of most of the needlestick injuries. Often, personal protective equipment was found cumbersome. Reporting needlestick injuries depended on the work environment.

IMPACT OF NEEDLE STICK INJURIES ON STUDENT NURSES AT KTH HOSPITAL, PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Needle stick injury (NSI) is a significant hazard in healthcare settings that poses a potential risk of transmission of blood-borne diseases. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the prevalence of NSI among student nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar and their knowledge about NSI prevention and control. The data collected through structured questionnaires, and the sample size was 147. The results showed 37% of students had experienced NSI during the last six months, while 70% were vaccinated and 75% were screened against HBS, HCV, and HIV. The study emphasizes the need for further training, workshops, and close supervision to prevent NSI complications and enhance safe practices during healthcare services. The positive effect of free vaccination and government attention to increasing the strength of nurses to control the increasing rate of NSI is also highlighted. Due to lack of proper supervision by trained staff, student nurses often suffer from needle stick injuries during their practical work. Patients may admitted to the hospital already contaminated with communicable diseases, and their beds are not labeled to indicate this. Exposure to NSIs can cause fear, insecurity, and low self-esteem in student nurses. There are many psychological consequences associated with NSIs, such as fear, anxiety, and depression. Student nurses are at substantial risk for NSIs because they often perform invasive procedures with minimal knowledge and experience. Education and awareness-raising about NSI prevention and reporting have been shown to positively impact previous studies. Observational studies conducted in Pakistan have recommended that nurse students receive further education to reduce the incidence of NSIs, as they are often deprived of advanced knowledge and experience. A lack of staff in hospitals can contribute to NSIs as nurses may ignore their safety while performing their duties. Two-handed recapping is responsible for approximately 80% of needle stick injuries.

A Quasi Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Learning Module on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Prevention of Needle Stick Injury among Housekeeping Staff in Hospital, Perungullathur, Chennai

A Quasi Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Learning Module on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Prevention of Needle Stick Injury among Housekeeping Staff in Hospital, Perungullathur, Chennai

EE439 Prevention of Needlestick Injuries and Blood Exposures Among Kenyan Healthcare Workers Using Safety Engineered Devices

Exposure to blood-borne pathogens poses a serious risk to health care workers (HCW). In Kenya, 76.6% of occupational exposures to HIV/AIDs among HCWs were attributed to needle stick injuries (NSIs). Blood exposures (BEs) are strongly associated with lack of safety device use and inadequate safety practices. Safety engineered devices (SEDs) can be a cost-effective solution as they can minimize the involved risks.

Effect of educational intervention based on health belief model on nurses’ compliance with standard precautions in preventing needle stick injuries

BackgroundThe increasing prevalence of needle stick injuries among nurses and the arising risks double the need to pay attention to improve their knowledge and change their behavior using effective educational models. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on the health belief model on nurses’ compliance with standard precautions in preventing needle stick injuries.MethodsThis quasi-experimental study was conducted on 110 nurses working in medical training centers in Shiraz and Fasa in 2019. Subjects were selected using a simple sampling method and were randomly divided into two interventions (n = 55) and control (n = 55). The intervention included 7 sessions of 50–55 min. Before and 3 months after the intervention, the health belief model questionnaire was completed by both groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 through chi-square, independent, and paired t-tests (P < 0.05).ResultsBased on independent and paired t-tests, there was no significant difference between the control and intervention groups regarding the mean score of health belief model constructs before the intervention. However, there was a significant difference regarding the mentioned scores 3 months after the educational intervention. Based on the paired t-test, the mean score of awareness, perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, cues to action, and behavioral performance in the intervention group significantly increased after the educational intervention (P < 0.05). Also, there was a significant decrease in perceived barriers (P < 0.05).ConclusionIt is recommended to apply the proposed model as an effective and cost-effective method along with other methods in training programs for nurses and other health workers exposed to invasive procedures, contaminated blood, and secretions.

Incidence, knowledge, attitude and practice toward needle stick injury among nursing students in Saudi Arabia.

Needle stick injuries constitute the greatest threat to nursing students during clinical practice because of accidental exposure to body fluids and infected blood. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the prevalence of needle stick injuries and (2) measure the level of knowledge, attitude and practice among nursing students about needle stick injuries. Three hundred participants undergraduate nursing students at a private college in Saudi Arabia were included, of whom 281 participated, for an effective response rate of 82%. The participants showed good knowledge scores with a mean score of 6.4 (SD = 1.4), and results showed that students had positive attitudes (Mean = 27.1, SD = 4.12). Students reported a low level of needle stick practice (Mean = 14.1, SD = 2.0). The total prevalence of needle stick injuries in the sample was 14.1%. The majority, 65.1%, reported one incidence in the last year, while (24.4%) 15 students reported two incident of needle stick injuries. Recapping was the most prevalent (74.1%), followed by during injection (22.3%). Most students did not write a report (77.4%), and being worried and afraid were the main reasons for non-reports (91.2%). The results showed that female students and seniors scored higher level in all needle stick injuries domains (knowledge, attitude and practice) than male students and juniors. Students who had needle stick injuries more than three times last year reported a lower level of all needle stick injury domains than other groups (Mean = 1.5, SD =1.1; Mean = 19.5, SD =1.1; Mean = 9.5, SD =1.1, respectively). Although the student's showed good knowledge and positive attitudes in NSI, the students reported a low level of needle stick practice. Raising awareness among nursing students and conducting continuing education related to sharp devices and safety and how to write an incident reporting is highly recommended.

Occupational health and safety rights of hospital workers in relation to needle stick injuries exposure in Pakistan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of needle stick injuries (NSIs) suffering in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS) coverage critically for health-care workers’ rights in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study involving the designing of a questionnaire followed by the World Health Organization’s NSI prevention assessment tool and nationally published reports covering health-care workers’ OHS rights protection. A total of 17 public and private hospitals were surveyed with a two-stage sampling method. Descriptive and inferential statistics (one-way analysis of variance with multiple comparison tests) were applied and significant results were discussed (p = 0.05 &amp; p = 0.01). The results were discussed critically in the context of the OHS rights of health-care workers. Findings Analysis revealed the following significant relationships: job type and safety behavior; age group of health-care workers and safety management; injection usage per day and safety behavior; past year’s needle sticks injuries cases with safety behavior and occupational exposure; work shift and work experience with safety knowledge, safety awareness and work experience with safety management. It was also found there is no specific OHS law in the country for health-care workers. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in terms of sampling size and quantification of NSI burden among health-care workers. Practical implications Improved OHS management practices among health-care workers can control NSIs that ultimately ensure their workplace OHS rights. Health-care workers need OHS coverage in terms of awareness about potential workplace hazards and job training accordingly. Findings from extensive studies of a similar kind can give useful policy directions for workplace health management in health-care setup at the national level. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of OHS coverage for health-care workers in hospitals. It reports different determinants of NSIs suffering causing health-care worker’s rights violations at the workplace in Pakistan.

Advancing Staff Safety: Assessment of Quality Improvement Interventions in Reducing Needlestick Injuries Among Staff at Nyaho Medical Centre.

Needlestick injury, which occurs when the skin is accidentally punctured, is linked to infection transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Because of the associated risks, hospitals are keen to do everything necessary to prevent needlestick injuries to their staff. This is a quality improvement project aimed at reducing needlestick injuries among staff at Nyaho Medical Centre (NMC). A facility-based assessment of the incidence of needlestick injury recorded and quality intervention employed was conducted between 2018 and 2021. Quality improvement tools such as the fishbone (cause and effect analysis) and the run chart were used to analyze and evaluate improvements made over time. NMC staff have greatly reduced the incidence of needlestick injuries from 2018 to 2021 (from 11 needlestick injuries in 2018 to 3 recorded needlestick injuries in 2021). Using root cause analysis to investigate the possible cause of needlestick injury and use of the run chart to monitor the implemented improvement strategies (interventions) helped reduce the incidence of needlestick injuries among staff and thereby improved staff safety. The introduction of the incident reporting management systems saw an increase in the culture of incident reporting in general. Other incidents, such as medical errors and patient falls, were being reported using the incident reporting system. The inclusion of infection prevention and control training as part of NMC's onboarding for new employees helped in the knowledge and awareness creation of needlestick injuries and safety measures to prevent injury from needles and sharps. Policy changes and audit with feedback sharing key performance indicators with frontline team members were identified to have had the most effect.

Saving time when preparing intravenous antibiotics.

Preparation of intravenous antibiotic doses takes up a significant amount of nurse time and exposes nurses to the risk of needlestick injury. The use of the Ecoflac® Connect needle-free connector could streamline preparation, reducing the time taken as well as eliminating needlestick injury risk. Because Ecoflac Connect is a closed system, it also minimises the risk of microbial contamination. This study showed that it took 83 experienced nurses 73.6 (SD 25.0) seconds to prepare an amoxicillin injection using the Ecoflac Connect needle-free connector compared with 110.0 (SD 34.6) seconds using the standard needle and syringe method, saving 36 seconds per dose on average, reducing the time taken by one-third. Based on recent government figures, the saving in nurse time would equate to 200-300 full-time nurses in England, equivalent to £6.15 million-£9.23 million a year. Additional savings would accrue from the prevention of needlestick injuries. Where wards are understaffed, this time saving could be critical, increasing time for care.

Global prevalence of needle stick injuries among nurses: Acomprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Nurses usually provide direct patient care. However, they account for the majority of healthcare workers (HCWs) injured by needles or other sharp objects. To assess the prevalence of needle stick injuries (NSI) among nurses worldwide; according to WHO regions, the socioeconomic development index (SDI) of countries, and the developmental status of individual countries, and in the Middle East. Systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. We calculated the pooled NSI prevalence estimates using a random-effect meta-analysis with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. The report of the study was in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. The overall worldwide NSI prevalence pooled from our analysis was 40.97% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.29-50.63%, p=.00001). A subgroup analysis of NSI prevalence according to WHO regions revealed the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia (49.9%, 95% CI: [23.4-76.3%]) and the lowest in the United States of America (25.1%, 95% CI: [18.1-32.1%]), respectively. The pooled prevalence in developed and developing countries was 30.5% (95% CI: 27.3-33.8%) and 46.6% (95% CI: 33.7-59.5%), respectively. According to the SDI, NSI prevalence was highest in low-middle SDI countries (48.9% [95% CI: 30.7-67.2%]). Our results showed a high NSI prevalence among nurses worldwide. Developing countries had a significantly higher NSI prevalence than developed countries, especially low-middle SDI countries. This study highlighted the prevalence of NSI risk among nurses practising in clinical settings worldwide. The study findings suggest that continuous training programs should be implemented for nurses to enhance their knowledge, performance and attitude toward NSI prevention in clinical settings. Contributions from patients or the public are irrelevant because the purpose of this study was to examine the global prevalence of NSIs in nurses.