Assessment of safe injection practices among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20252094Keywords:
Injection practice, Healthcare workers, SafeAbstract
Background: There is dearth of documented information about safe and unsafe injection practices in both developing and developed countries. Safe injection practices are intended to prevent transmission of infectious diseases from one patient to other, or between a patient and health care personnel during preparation and injection of medications. Documented record of the daily practices would lead to efficient monitoring. This will further enhance the prevention of infection by unsafe injection practices.
Methods: It was cross-sectional study where healthcare workers (nursing staff, phlebotomists and doctors) were observed for safe injection practices in sample collection room, cath lab, wards and ICU. Healthcare workers were assessed by means of a pre-defined questionnaire where basic knowledge about the subject was assessed. Field training was given to the staff for safe injection practices.
Results: While observing the different facilities, 28.57% had loose disposable needles lying outside packaging. 42.85% facilities had sharp waste lying in a container not meant for sharp waste. All sharp containers awaiting final disposal were stored in an area away from public access. Sharp container for final disposal in one of the facilities was not completely closed; its lid was open (14.28%). All the facilities had access to soap and water while 71% facilities had access to hand sanitizers. Pre and post tests showed the gaps in the knowledge of different healthcare workers which were improved by on-spot training.
Conclusions: Education and training and regular audits go hand in hand in improving safe injection practices.
Metrics
References
The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016. Available from: https://www.hspcb.org.in/uploads/ laws/BMW_Rules.pdf. Accessed on 1 February 2025.
ISMP Alarming Survey Results from CDC: Unsafe Injection Practices Continue ISMP Medication Safety Alert! October 5, 2017. Available from: https://www.ismp.org/resources/alarming-survey-results-cdc-unsafe-injection-practices-continue. Accessed on 1 February 2025.
Reid S. Preliminary results of the WHO GBD from unsafe injections. In: Report on Annual Meeting of the Safe Injection Global Network. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.
Gyawali S, Rathore DS, Kc B, Shankar PR. Study of status of safe injection practice and knowledge regarding injection safety among primary health care workers in Baglung district, western Nepal. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2013;13:3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-698X-13-3
Anwar MM, Mohamed Lotfy AA, Alrashidy AA. Safe injection awareness and practices among nursing staff in an Egyptian and a Saudi hospital. J Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2019;94:1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-019-0018-5
Adejumo PO, Dada FA. A comparative study on knowledge, attitude, and practice of injection safety among nurses in two hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria. Int J Infect Control. 2013;9(1):1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3396/ijic.v9i1.004.13
Hayashi T, Hutin YJ, Bulterys M, Altaf A, Allegranzi B. Injection practices in 2011-2015: a review using data from the demographic and health surveys (DHS). BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19(1):600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4366-9
World Health Organization (WHO). Revised injection safety assessment tool (Tool CRevised). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.
Chaudhuri SB, Ray K. Safe injection practices in primary health care settings of Naxalbari Block, Darjeeling District, West Bengal. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(1):LC21-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/15668.7132
WHO. Hepatitis b. 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b. Accessed on 1 February 2025.
Hutin YJF, Hauri AM, Armstrong GL. Use of injections in healthcare settings worldwide, literature review and regional estimates. BMJ. 2000;2003(327):1075. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7423.1075
Acharya AS, Priyanka, Khandekar J, Bachani D. Assessment of knowledge and practices regarding injection safety and related biomedical waste management amongst interns in a tertiary care teaching hospital, Delhi. Int Schol Res Notices. 2014;2014(1):670861. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/670861
Chisevescu P, Mihailescu I, Mihailescu GP, Pasat L, Ion-Nedelcu N, Popa MI. Injection practices among nurses--Valcea Romania 1998. MMWR Morb Mortal Week Rep. 2001;50(4):59-61.
Heaton A, Krudwig K, Lorenson T, Burgess C, Cunningham A, Steinglass R. Doses per vaccine vial container: an understated and underestimated driver of performance that needs more evidence. Vaccine. 2017;35(17):2272-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.11.066
Improving Safety of Sanitation Workers in Wai Municipal Council. 2020. Available from: https://pas.org.in/Portal/document/UrbanSanitation/uploads/Improving_Safety_of_Sanitation_Workers_in_Wai_Municipal_Council1.pdf. Accessed on 1 February 2025.
Riaz H, Kamal SW, Riaz T, Aziz S, Rajper J, Noorulain W. Methods of disposal of used syringes by hepatitis B and C patients at an urban and rural setting. J Pak Med Assoc. 2012;62(1):81-4.
Paul B, Roy S, Chattopadhyay D, Bisoi S, Misra R, Bhattacharya N, et al. A study on safe injection practices of nursing personnel in a tertiary care hospital of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. TAF Prevent Med Bull. 2011;10(6). DOI: https://doi.org/10.5455/pmb.20110523051229
Peethala S, Garapati S. A study on assessment of safe injection practices among internees in government general hospital, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4:4321-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20174852
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
