Assessment of Factors Affecting Needle Stick and Sharp Injuries Among Health Professionals and Cleaners in Arba Minch General Hospital, Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2015 G. C

Abstract

Sharp piercing injuries to medical personnel are a piercing body trauma caused by sharp medical equipment used to screen, diagnose, treat or follow up patients\textquoteright{} conditions. More than 50 pathogens can be transmitted by sharp injury. Thus, this study was aimed at assessing Prevalence and factors that affect needle stick and sharp injuries among health Professionals and Cleaners in Arbaminch General Hospital. .Facility based cross sectional study was used and the required sample was 187. Study participants were selected using systemic sampling method Detailed explanation and interpretation was made by presenting the data in the form of frequency, percentage using tables, graphs andBivariate analysis with a P-value \textless{}0.25 was employed to select candidate variables for the multivariable logistic regression to identify independent predictorsfor needle stick and sharp injury exposure. A total of 181 health professionals and cleaners were interviewed making a response rate of (181) 96.8%and75 (42.1%)had experienced needle stick and/or sharp injury at least once in the 12 months. Majority of the respondents172 (95.0%) were concerned about theneedle stick and sharp injury, of whom the risk was perceived high in 139 (76.8%) of the respondents. Monthly income, job satisfaction, and working in waste handling unit were the predictors for needle stick and sharp injury and.On job training to health professionals and cleaners and discussion with the hospital administrators on how to alleviate the problem is recommended