A study on knowledge, attitude, practice and prevalence of needle stick injuries among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital of Assam

Jurimoni Gogoi; Sultana Jesmin Ahmed; Hiranya Saikia; Ratna Sarma

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20172171

Authors

Jurimoni Gogoi Department of Community Medicine, Assam Medical College, Assam
Sultana Jesmin Ahmed Department of Community Medicine, Assam Medical College, Assam
Hiranya Saikia Department of Community Medicine, Assam Medical College, Assam
Ratna Sarma Department of Community Medicine, Assam Medical College, Assam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20172171

Keywords:

Health care workers, Needle stick injury, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice

Abstract

Background: The objective of study was to determine prevalence of needle stick injuries among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital of Assam and to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices on needle stick injuries among them.

Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted from June 2016 to August 2016 amongst health care workers of a tertiary care centre of Assam. Sample size was calculated to be 90. A total of 10 departments were selected purposively based on their magnitude of risk exposure and the required sample size was allocated proportionally among these 10 departments. The required numbers of health workers from each of the ten departments were selected by using simple random sampling. A predesigned and pretested proforma was used to collect the data. Data were presented in terms of percentages and significance was tested using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test.

Results: Prevalence of needle stick injury among the health workers was found to be 21.1%. Regarding spread of diseases after an accidental needle stick injury, 100% were aware of HIV, 98.9% were aware of Hepatitis B and 67.8% were aware of Hepatitis C. Regarding their attitude to report to in-charge medical officer, only 21.1% had reported about their injury. Around 58.9% of health care workers used gloves regularly for prevention of such injuries. Practice of recapping among the health care workers was 66.7% and out of total needle stick injuries, recapping contributed to 26.3%. While considering sharp waste disposal, 37.8% health care workers did not follow proper waste disposal guidelines. Only 26.3% of health care workers had done screening for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B after their injury.

Conclusions: There is a need to have a pre-employment training to improve the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding accidental needle stick injuries among the health care workers.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Bolyard EA, Tablan OC, Williams WW, Pearson ML, Shapiro CN, Deitchman SD, et al. Guidelines for infection control in health care personnel. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1998;19:445.

International Health Care Worker Safety Center. Estimated Annual Number of U.S. Occupational Percutaneous Injuries and Mucocutaneous Exposures to Blood or Potentially Infective Biological Substances. Adv Exposure Prevent. 1998;4:3.

Pruss-Ustun A, Rapiti E, Hutin Y. Sharps injuries: Global burden of disease from sharps injuries to health-care workers. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003 (WHO Environmental Burden of Disease Series, No. 3).

Elder A, Paterson C. Sharps injuries in UK health care: A review of injury rates, viral transmission and potential efficacy of safety devices. Occup Med (Lond). 2006;56:566-74.

Garner JS, Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Guideline for isolation precautions in hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1996;17:53-80.

Centers for Disease Control. Recommendations for prevention of HIV transmission in health-care settings. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1987;36(2S):1S-18S.

Centers for Disease Control. Update: universal precautions for prevention of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and other bloodborne pathogens in health-care settings. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1988;37:377-82, 387-8.

Bolyard AE, Bell DM. Universal precautions in the health care setting. In: Devita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, editors. AIDS: etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1997: 655-664.

Bolyard AE, Tablan CO, Williams WW, Pearson LM, Shapiro NC, Deitchman DS. The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Guideline for infection control in health care personnel. 1998;26(3):302.

Salelkar S, Motghare D.D, Kulkarni SM, Vaz SF. Study of Needle Stick Injuries among Health Care Workers at a Tertiary Care Hospital. Indian J Public Health. 2010;54(1):18-20.

Sharma R, Rasania SK, Verma A, Singh S. Study of Prevalence and Response to Needle Stick Injuries among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Delhi, India. Indian J Community Med. 2010;35(1):74-7.

Clarke SP, Rockett JL, Sloane DM, Aiken LH. Organizational climate, stafÞ ng and safety equipment as predictors of needlestick injuries and near misses in hospital nurses. Am J Infect Control. 2002;30:207-16.

Wilburn SQ. Needle and sharps injury prevention. Online J Issues in Nursing, 2004;9:3.

Osborn S.H.E, Papadakis AM, Gerberding LJ. Occupational exposures to body fluids among medical students: A seven- year longitudinal study. Annals Internal Med. 1999;130(1):45-51.

Shah R, Mehta H, Fancy M, Nayak S, Donga NB. Knowledge and awareness regarding needle stick injuries among health care workers in tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Nat J Com Med. 2010;1(2):93–6.

Hadaway L. Needlestick injuries, short peripheral catheters, and health care worker risks. J Infus Nurs. 2012;35(3):1-15.

Kermode M, Jolley D, Langkham B, Thomas MS, Crofts N. Occupational exposure to blood and risk of bloodborne virus infection among health care workers in rural north Indian healthcare settings. Am J Infect Control. 2005;33:34-41.

Ebrahimi H, Khosravi A. Needlestick injuries among nurses. J Res Health Sc. 2007;7:56-62.

Pournaras S, Tsakris A, Mandraveli K, Faitatzidou A, Douboyas J, Tourkantonis A. Reported needlestick and sharp injuries among health care workers in a Greek general hospital. Occup Med (Lond). 1999;49:423-6.

Adegboye AA, Moss GB, Soyinka F, Kreiss JK. The epidemiology of needlestick and sharp instrument accidents in a Nigerian hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1994;15:27-31.

Ilhan MN, Durukan E, Aras E, Türkçüoğlu S, Aygün R. Long working hours increase the risk of sharp and needlestick injury in nurses: The need for new policy implication. J Adv Nurs. 2006;56:563-8.

Ayas NT, Barger LK, Cade BE, Hashimoto DM, Rosner B, Cronin JW, et al. Extended work duration and the risk of self-reported percutaneous injuries in interns. J Am Med Assoc. 2006;296:1055‑62.