The pattern of sharps injury to health care workers at Witbank Hospital

Prevalence, response and associated factors of needlestick injury among health care workers in Orotta National Referral Hospital, Eritrea

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers are at risk of occupational exposure to blood and other body fluids after sustaining needlestick injury which constitutes a risk for transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus or Human Immune-deficiency Virus.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the prevalence, response, and associated factors of needlestick injury by medical sharps among healthcare workers in Orotta National Referral Hospital, Asmara, Eritrea.

METHODS

Cross sectional study was conducted between September and December 2017 among healthcare workers. This was a census study whereby a total of 383 healthcare workers who had contact with sharp medical equipment were taken as study population. An aided self-administered questionnaire, checklist and key informant interviews were used as data collection tools. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22. Bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out and the level of significance was set at P < .05.

RESULTS

The prevalence of needlestick injury 12 months preceding the study was 37.1% (134/361). Midwives had the highest occurrence (45%) among others while adult intensive care unit were found to have higher prevalence of needlestick injury (61.5%) as compared to the other sections. As an immediate response to needlestick injury, only 15.7% washed the injured part with soap and water. The factors associated with needlestick injury include age > 40 years (AOR = .314, p = .05), marital status (married (AOR = 0.595, p = .05)), additional duty that made healthcare workers rush during working hours (AOR = 2.134, p = .002) and back bone problem (AOR = 2.239, p = .002).

CONCLUSION

The overall finding of the study indicated that there was a great risk of contracting blood-borne infections among the healthcare workers especially midwives. Therefore, there is need for adequate supply of safety engineered devices, Hepatitis B vaccine, better reporting, and surveillance of needlestick injury cases at the hospital. Moreover, further research on assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare workers toward occupational safety and health, particularly needlestick injury, is necessary.

Exploring the psychological effects of sharps injuries sustained by healthcare workers

Much of the research into sharps injuries sustained by healthcare workers focuses on prevalence and incidence and to a lesser extent the financial implications of such injuries. An under-researched area is the psychological effects of such injuries. This article reports the findings of a narrative literature review that aimed to synthesise the evidence on this subject. Electronic databases and the grey literature were searched with no date limits set and 27 articles were included in the review. Findings suggested that healthcare workers may experience a range of psychological issues following a sharps injury, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. There was also evidence to suggest that the necessary psychological follow-up care is often inadequate, so improvements are required in this area. Further research is necessary to enhance understanding of the psychological effects of sharps injuries on healthcare workers and to ensure they receive appropriate support.

A comparison of knowledge and practices of universal precautions among public sector health care workers in Ugu north sub-district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2010-2014)

Background

Annually, there are a high number of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among health care workers (HCWs) globally. The knowledge and practice of HCWs of universal precautions (UPs) play an important role in determining the risk of an NSI. The objective of this study was to compare the knowledge and practices of UPs among HCWs with NSIs with HCWs without NSIs, in Ugu north sub-district in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, between 2010 and 2014.

Methods

A study among HCWs having an NSI (n = 100) between 2010 and 2014 compared with controls (n = 200) was conducted in 2016–2017 at a district hospital and 11 primary health care facilities in Ugu north sub-district, KZN, South Africa. Health care workers’ knowledge and practices of UPs were assessed by using a standardised questionnaire. Knowledge and practice responses were scored, and means and standard deviations (SDs) were calculated. Total scores of knowledge and practices were categorised into acceptable and unacceptable, and a binary logistic model was used to identify independent factors associated with being a case. The accepted level of significance was 0.05.

Results

The majority of the participants were nurses (n = 233; 77.7%) and female (n = 227; 75.7%). Control HCWs had better practice scores for UPs (86.13%; SD: 16.57) compared with cases (82.43%; SD: 19.98). The logistic regression analysis showed that the HCWs with acceptable knowledge and unacceptable practice were more likely to have had an NSI (odds ratio [OR]: 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4–24.0).

Conclusion

There were significant differences between cases and controls with respect to knowledge and practice of UPs that are important findings for workplace health and safety and HCW training.

Magnitude and Determinants of Needlestick and Sharp Injuries among Nurses Working in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

Needlestick and sharp injuries are a big risk to the health of nurses. Every day, nurses face the likelihood that they will injure themselves. Although many injuries will have no adverse effect, the possibility of acquiring infections like hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and human immunodeficiency virus can cause untold psychological harm. Nurses are in danger of injuries caused by needlestick and sharp instruments in hospitals.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and determinants of needlestick and/or sharp injuries among nurses working at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2018.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 268 nurses working at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital from February to March 2018. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to spot factors associated with needlestick and/or sharp injury. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance.

Result

The prevalence of needlestick and/or sharp injuries among nurses was 36.2% (95% CI 30.2%, 42.3%). Presence of contaminated needles and/or sharp materials in the working area (AOR = 2.052 (95% CI 1.110, 3.791)), needle recapping after use (AOR = 1.780 (95% CI 1.025, 3.091)), working in the pediatric ward (AOR = 0.323 (95% CI 0.112, 0.930)), and being female (AOR = 0.461 (95% CI 0.252, 0.845)) were significantly associated with needlestick and/or sharp injury at p value of ≤0.05. Conclusion and Recommendation. The proportion of needlestick and/or sharp injury was high among nurses. The safety of nurses depends directly on the degree to which nurses can identify and control the numerous occupational hazards specific to jobs. Thus, working unit specific safety precautions, a safe working environment, and appropriate needle and sharp disposal improve nurses' safety practices and thereby decrease the injuries.

Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among primary healthcare workers in Johannesburg health district: High rate of underreporting

Background

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of bloodborne infections from sharp instrument injuries and skin and mucous membrane exposures to contaminated blood and body fluids (BBF). While these have clinical and occupational health implications, little is known about BBF exposure and its reporting pattern in South African primary healthcare (PHC). The aim of this study was to determine the rate of BBF exposure, the extent of reporting and the reasons for not reporting among HCWs in PHC facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study involving 444 participants, an 18-item, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, HCWs’ exposures to BBF in the last year, whether the exposure was reported and the reasons for not reporting. Analysis included descriptive statistics and chi-square test.

Results

Most participants were nurses (87.4%) and female (88.1%). About a quarter of participants (112) reported having at least one BBF exposure in the last year. Overall, there were 355 exposures, resulting in 0.8 BBF exposure per HCW per year. Of these exposures, 291 (82.0%) were not reported. Common reasons for not reporting include lack of time (42.72%), perception that the source patient was at low risk for human immunodeficiency virus (24.7%) and concerns about confidentiality (22.5%). Blood and body fluids exposures involving nurses (p < 0.001), sharp instrument (p < 0.001) and HCWs aged < 50 years (p = 0.02) were significantly more likely to be reported.

Conclusion

This study found a high rate of underreporting of BBF exposures among HCWs in PHC facilities in Johannesburg, suggesting an urgent need for interventions to improve reporting.

Magnitude and associated factors of needle stick and sharps injuries among health care workers in Dessie City Hospitals, north east Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Work-related exposures to needle stick and sharps accidents are essential reason of infections with blood borne pathogens amongst health care employees and can cause extensive fitness consequences and psychological stress. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of needle stick and sharps injuries and associated factors among health care workers in Dessie town hospitals.

METHOD

This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 21-April 21/2015, amongst health care people in Dessie city hospitals.Data have been collected by a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The study included 438 health care employees who had been selected through the use of a simple random sampling technique. The gathered data have been checked, coded and entered to EPI-info version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS model 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses have been executed to identify elements related with the structured variable.

RESULTS

From 457 selected study participants, 438 (95.8%) responded to the questionnaire. The magnitude of needle stick and sharps injuries in the last 12 months was 124(28.3%), of which 92(74.2%) was reported by males and the rest 32(25.8%) by females. Being male [AOR: 4.25, 95%CI:(2.43,7.41)],had no safety instructions in the work area [AOR:2.27,95%CI: (1.29,3.97)],had no training on safety and health [AOR:4.92,95%CI:(2.75,8.79)],had ≤5 years work experience [AOR:9.0,95%CI:(4.88,16.60)],recapping of used needle [AOR: 2.63, 95%CI: (1.39, 4.99)] were the variables that significantly associated with needle stick and sharps injuries.

CONCLUSION

This study showed still a high magnitude of needle stick or sharps among healthcare workers. Therefore, training on work related safety and wellbeing, making safety instructions accessible and avoiding a recap of the needle after use are important to reduce the chance of such injuries among healthcare workers.

The impact of sharps injuries on student nurses: a systematic review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this review was to discover the impact of sharps injuries in the student nurse population.

BACKGROUND

Much is known and reported about sharps injuries in registered nurses, but there has been a lack of published evidence regarding sharps injuries within the student nurse population.

METHOD

A systematic review of nursing, health and psychology databases was conducted. The limits set were publications between 1980 and 2014 in the English language. Studies were identified then, following a rigorous critical and quality appraisal with validated tools, were selected for the systematic review.

RESULTS

A total of 40 articles met the inclusion criteria, reporting studies conducted in 18 countries. Psychological and physical impacts of sharps injuries in student nurses were reported, such as fear, anxiety and depression, although these impacts were not quantified using a validated instrument.

CONCLUSION

The impact of sharps injuries can be severe, both psychological and physical. This systematic review shows that further research is needed into this, especially in under-researched areas such as the UK, to establish the impact of sharps injuries within this population. Further research would also aid the education and prevention of this harmful problem. The review also emphasises the psychological issues relating to sharps injuries, the impact these can have on individuals and the support and counselling that student nurses require after injury.

RELEVANCE TO PRACTICE

These findings highlight the potential psychological issues that can result from sharps injuries in this population.

Molecular epidemiology of hcv among health care workers of khyber pakhtunkhwa

Background

Studies of the molecular epidemiology and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in health care workers (HCWs) of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region are scarce. Lack of awareness about the transmission of HCV and regular blood screening is contributing a great deal towards the spread of hepatitis C. This study is an attempt to investigate the prevalence of HCV and its possible association with both occupational and non-occupational risk factors among the HCWs of Peshawar.

Results

Blood samples of 824 HCWs, aged between 20-59 years were analysed for anti-HCV antibodies, HCV RNA and HCV genotypes by Immunochromatographic tests and PCR. All relevant information was obtained from the HCWs with the help of a questionnaire. The study revealed that 4.13% of the HCWs were positive for HCV antibodies, while HCV RNA was detected in 2.79% of the individuals. The most predominant HCV genotype was 3a and 2a.

Conclusion

A program for education about occupational risk factors and regular blood screening must be implemented in all healthcare setups of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in order to help reduce the burden of HCV infection.