Prevalence of needle stick injuries among health care workers of various hospitals: a cross sectional study in an urban district of North India

Authors

  • Shweta Rajpal Department of Community Medicine, Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Sunil Kumar Garg Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meeurt, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Tanveer Bano Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meeurt, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Ganesh Singh Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meeurt, Uttar Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20211265

Keywords:

Hospital, Healthcare workers, Needle injury

Abstract

Background: Needle stick injuries (NSI) are one of the dreaded but preventable occupational hazard posed to health care worker in various clinical settings. The causes of NSI includes injuries caused by use of hypodermic needles, blood collection needles, needles in intravenous delivery systems, needles in diagnostic aspiration procedures and needle in interventional or surgical procedures. In developing countries, needle stick injuries prevalence is also related to lack of standard operating protocol in various institution.

Methods: A cross sectional observational study was carried out in 384 paramedical, technical, auxiliary and sanitary staff of three government and three private hospitals of Meerut from November 2015 to October 2016.

Results: In our study, Overall prevalence of NSI was 77/384 (20.1%). Among sub-groups, needle stick injury was 26.6% and 31.3% in nurses, 37.5% and 16.7% in technicians, 15% and 12.5% in wardboys/aaya and 15.6% and 9.4% in sweepers of public and private hospitals respectively.

Conclusions: Standard operating protocol is the need of the hour at every medical institution and hospitals for NSI. Regular training regarding NSI, promoting early reporting and availability of immediate Post exposure prophylaxis should be ensured.

Author Biographies

Shweta Rajpal, Department of Community Medicine, Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Era's Lucknow Medical College.

Sunil Kumar Garg, Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meeurt, Uttar Pradesh, India

EX-PROFESSOR AND HOD,

Department of Community Medicine,

LLRM Medical College, Meerut

 

Tanveer Bano, Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meeurt, Uttar Pradesh, India

PROFESSOR,
Department of Community Medicine,

LLRM Medical College, Meerut

Ganesh Singh, Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meeurt, Uttar Pradesh, India

Associate PROFESSOR,
Department of Community Medicine,

LLRM Medical College, Meerut

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Published

2021-03-25

How to Cite

Rajpal, S., Garg, S. K., Bano, T., & Singh, G. (2021). Prevalence of needle stick injuries among health care workers of various hospitals: a cross sectional study in an urban district of North India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(4), 1976–1979. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20211265

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Section

Original Research Articles