Evaluation of needle stick injuries among nurses of Khanevadeh Hospital in Tehran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Accidental needle-stick injuries (NSIs) are a hazard for health-care workers and general public health. Nursing workers are at high risk for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens (such as HBV, HCV and HIV) via sharp injuries of needle stick.

METHODS: This descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was done on 158 nursing workers of Khanevadeh Hospital in Tehran to study needle stick injuries prevalence and related factors via a questionnaire in 2008. Filling up questionnaires, acquired data was processed through SPSS 16.0 software and analyzed by statistical tests including Pearson's correlation coefficient, Chi-square test, Independent T-test, and Fisher exact test.

RESULTS: Base on findings 40.5% of all participants were male and 59.5% were female. Age mean of contributors was 33.26 years (SD=8.03). 56.96% of participants had history of at least one needle stick injury and 22.15% of them had needle stick injury during last year. Injections were most common action resulted to exposure (24.44%) and recapping of needles was at second order (21.11%). 44.3% of participants were performing recapping of needles. Operation room had highest prevalence (18.9%) of needle stick injuries among all wards of hospital. Emergency ward and ICU were on next order (15.6%). Exposed people believed that the most important and basic reason for needle stick injuries was patients crowdedness and hospital chaos (37.8%). There was no relation between ages, gender, years of professional life, education level and needle stick injuries but men used latex gloves less than women and did recapping needles more than them. Age and years of professional life among exposed people were less than others.

CONCLUSIONS: The NSIs in nursing workers of this hospital were less than similar studies in Iran significantly.

KEY WORDS: Needlestick injuries, Health personnel, Needles.