Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury and Associated Determinants among Healthcare Employees of Tertiary Care Hospital, Bangladesh

Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury and Associated Determinants among Healthcare Employees of Tertiary Care Hospital, Bangladesh

Farzana Karim1*, Md Mahfuzur Rahman2

1Dental Unit, MARKS Medical College, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2Dental Unit, Kumudini Women’s Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh

*Corresponding address: Dental Unit, MARKS Medical College, Mirpur, Dhaka University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Email: farzanakarim25@gmail.com

Received: 04 September 2024 / Revised: 28 November 2024 / Accepted: 30 November 2024 / Available Online: 21 December 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63137/jsteam.446585

ABSTRACT

Objective: Needle stick injuries (NSIs) are a recurrent issue among healthcare employees. The study aims to evaluate the frequency of needle stick injuries and identify predisposing components at a tertiary care facility in Dhaka.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was organized at six medical and dental hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 2023 to August 2023. The study sample consisted of 240 doctors, dentists, and paramedical staff working at the hospital. The data was collected via a structured questionnaire with nine closed-ended questions for the study subjects. The analysis of data was done using SPSS 23.

Results: The overall prevalence of NSIs was 60%. The main reason for incurring the injury was drawing blood, which accounts for 54.2% of the total injuries, the second was while performing surgery (27%), and breaking vials (12%). The predominance of the injuries occurred during the morning shift (81.3%). A large majority, i.e., 60.4%, did not report their injury, and 74% of the study population reported that the vaccination for Hepatitis B was taken prophylactically. A large majority managed a needle stick injury by wound toilet (30.6%), and the same percentage of the study population ignored it.

Conclusion: This study observed that healthcare providers had a high prevalence of needle stick injuries. Hospital administration must devise a way to increase the availability of safety equipment, reduce workload, and provide better training to reduce the risk of injury. Moreover, reporting must be made mandatory for all those who incur this kind of injury in the future, and immunization must be made available.

Keywords: Needlestick Injuries; Healthcare Workers; Occupational Exposure; Blood-Borne Pathogens; Bangladesh

Data Availability: The data supporting this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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How to Cite: Karim F, Rahman MMd. Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury and Associated Determinants among Healthcare Employees of Tertiary Care Hospital, Bangladesh. J Sci Technol Educ Art Med. 2024;1(2):11-18