Needle Stick Injuries among Health Care Worker at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

KEY WORDS: Needle stick injuries (NSIs) are wound caused by sharps such as hypodermic needle, blood collection, intravenous cannulas or needle used to connect part of intravenous delivery system. In India, authentic data on NSIs are scarce. It is known that 3-6 billion injection are given per year, of which 2/3 injection are unsafe (62.9%) and the use of glass syringe is constantly associated with higher degree of unsafety. Determinants of NSIs are over use of injections and unnecessary sharps, lack of supply of disposable syringes, safer needle devices, and sharps-disposal containers, recapping of needles after use, passing instruments from hand to hand in the operating suite, lack of awareness of hazards and lack of training. The objective is to study the prevalence and type of needle stick injuries in health care workers in Rohilkhand Medical College and hospital, Bareilly. This cross-sectional study was conducted in month of January 2012 to December 2012. Simple Random Sampling method was used for sample size 312, including 52 participants in each category. A Semi-open pre-tested validated questionnaire was used in the study. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version12, Chi-square test was applied as a test of significant. Needle stick injuries were present in 56.2% health care works. Injuries were more in OT technicians. Many times these injuries were self -inflicted. Hospital based intervention programs and awareness was effective in prevention of needle sticks injuries and our results quantitatively supported these arguments. rd needle stick injuries, health care workers, simple random sampling.