Prevalence of needle stick injury among post-graduate residents of medical college in North India: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20251395Keywords:
Needle stick injury, Universal precautions, Post-exposure prophylaxisAbstract
Background: Needle stick injury (NSI) is a major concern among healthcare professionals especially young resident doctors. As they navigate through their professional journey, these early-career healthcare workers (HCWs) may face heightened exposure to the risk of occupational injuries, including NSIs. Recognizing the importance of addressing this issue, this cross-sectional study was conducted with the objective of determining the prevalence of needle stick injuries among postgraduate students at a medical college in northern India.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among residents of medical college in North India. Data was collected for period of one month. A validated, pre-structured questionnaire was used. Data was compiled using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Epi-info 7 (CDC USA) freely available online.
Results: The prevalence of NSI among post-graduate students was found out to be 55.2%. Half (50%) of these NSI were found out to be un-reported. More than half (58.62%) of study participants didn’t get themselves tested for HBV/HCV/HIV after NSI.
Conclusions: High prevalence of NSI was found among post-graduate residents. The knowledge about intricacies of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was found to be lacking. There is need to enhance educational efforts and have strict protocols in place amongst health-care professionals regarding NSI.
Metrics
References
World Health Organization. Global health sector strategy on bloodborne viruses 2020-2025: towards ending viral hepatitis. Geneva: WHO. 2020.
Verma RK, Sharma A, Khurana A. Needle stick injuries among healthcare workers in India: A review of prevalence and its impact. J Clin Diagn Res. 2019;13(3):1-6.
Sharma S, Bhargava S, Kaur N. Occupational exposure to needle stick injuries among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital. Indian J Med Sci. 2018;72(2):38-42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21608/ejom.2018.6810
Ippolito G, Puro V, De Carli G. Occupational risk for HIV infection in healthcare workers. Lancet. 1993;342(8879):340-1.
Hutin YJ, Plotkin PK, Henning K. Needle stick injuries in healthcare workers worldwide: a systematic review. Int J Infect Dis. 2020; 94:72-80.
Puro V, De Carli G, Petrosillo N. The risk of HIV transmission to healthcare workers. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129(1):26-33.
Sample Size in Statistics (How to Find it): Excel, Cochran’s Formula, General Tips. Statistics How To. Available at: https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/find-sample-size/. Accessed on 25 February 2025.
Vijay C, Joe A, Ramesh N. Knowledge of needle sticks injuries and its prevention among interns and post graduate students working at a tertiary health care centre, Bangalore. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4(7):2443-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20172838
Abdelmalik MA, Alhowaymel FM, Fadlalmola H, Mohammaed MO, Abbakr I, Alenezi A, et al. Global prevalence of needle stick injuries among nurses: A comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis. J Clin Nursing. 2023;32(17-18):5619-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16661
Tonghui W, Ying L, Xiaolu W, Ming H. A large-scale survey on epidemiology and underreporting of needlestick and sharp injuries among healthcare workers in China. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1292906. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1292906
Sharma GK, Gilson MM, Nathan H, Makary MA. Needlestick injuries among medical students: incidence and implications. Acad Med. 2009;84(12):1815-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181bf9e5f
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
