KNOWLEDGE PRACTICE GAPS ABOUT NEEDLE STICK INJURIES AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF PAKISTAN

Authors

  • Ameet Kumar
  • Ali Khan Khuwaja
  • Amin Muhammad Khuwaja

Abstract

Background: The aim of our study were to assess the knowledge and practice gaps about Needle StickInjuries (NSIs) and their associated factors among Health Care Workers’ (HCWs) at tertiary carehospitals of Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary care teachinghospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, representing both private and public health sector. During the months ofJanuary to May 2008, trained medical graduates interviewed 497 HCWs (Doctors and Nurses) whowere working in those particular hospitals for more than a year and were willing to participate in thestudy. Results: Overall the knowledge about transmission of HBV HCV and HIV was good. However,19.1 and 12.3% HCWs had misconception about the transmission of malaria and tuberculosis by NSIs;more female and working as a nurse. Furthermore, a large number of participants had lack ofknowledge for the transmission of infectious mononucleosis. Over two third of study subjects were notvaccinated for hepatitis B infection, again more females (p=0.002) and nurses (p<0.001). Largenumbers of study participants were not wearing protective cloths, and do not us sharp containers.Similarly, preponderance of study subjects does not avoid breaking needle by hands and leave syringesopen; these poor practices are significantly more prevalent among those working for more than fiveyears and doctors (p=0.003). Conclusion: In addition to lack of knowledge, poor practices werereported in this study. Proper curriculum reform and training are required to protect the health Careworkers and patients. Further research and interventions are suggested in this regards.Keywords: knowledge, practice, public and private sector, Pakistan.

References

Hsieh W, Chiu N, Lee C, Huang F. Occupational blood and

infectious body fluid exposures in a teaching hospital: a three

year review. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2006;39:321–7.

Sagoe-Moses C, Pearson RD, Perry J, Jagger J. Risks to health

care workers in developing Countries. N Engl J Med

;345:538–9.

Wilburn SQ, Eijkemans G. Preventing Needle stick Injuries

among Healthcare Workers: A WHO-ICN Collaboration. Int J

Occup Environ Health 2004;10:451–6.

Lee JM, Botteman MF, Xanthakos N, Nicklasson L. Needlestick

injuries in the United States —epidemiologic, economic and

quality of life issues. AAOHN J 2005;53:117–33.

Shen C, Jagger J. Risk of needle stick and sharp object injuries

among medical students. Am J Infect Control 1999;27:435–7.

Azap A, Ergonul O, Memikoglu KO, Yeşilkaya A, Altunsoy

A, Bozkurt GY, et al. Occupational exposure to blood and body

fluids health care workers in Ankara, Turkey. Am J Infect

Control 2005;33:48–52.

Taegtmeyer M, Suckling RM, Nguku PM, Meredith C, Kibaru

J, Chakaya JM, et al. Working with risk: Occupational safety

issues among healthcare workers in Kenya. AIDS Care

;20(3):304–10.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH

Alert. Preventing needle stick injuries in health care settings.

Cincinnati, OH: US Department of Human and Health Services,

Public Health services, Center for Disease Prevention, National

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; 1999: OH DHSS

(NIOSH) Publication No. 2000–108.

Needlestick Injuries Among Health Care Workers. Available at

http://enhs.umn.edu/current/6120/needle/prevention.html.

Accessed on 19/04/10.

Hutin YJ. Hauri AM, Armstrong GL. Use of injection in health

care setting worldwide, 2000 literature review among regional

estimates. BMJ 2003;327:1075.

Whitby M, McLaws ML, Slater K. Needle-stick injuries in major

teaching hospitals: worth while effect of hospital-wide

replacement of conventional hollow borne needles. Am J Infect

Control 2008;36:180–6.

Gurubacharya DL, Mathura KC, Karki DB. Knowledge, attitude

and practices among health care workers in needle stick injuries.

Kathmandu Univ Med J 2003;1(2):91–4.

Zafar A, Aslam N, Nasir N, Meraj R, Mehraj V. Knowledge,

attitudes and practices of health care workers regarding needle

stickinjuries at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. J Pak Med

Assoc 2008;58(2):57–60.

Janjua NZ, Razaq M, Chandir S, Rozi S, Mahmood B. Poor

knowledge: predictor of non-adherence to universal precautions

for blood borne pathogens at first level care facilities in Pakistan.

BMC Infect Dis 2007;7:81.

Gillen M, McNary J, Lewis J, Davis M, Boyd A, Schuler M, et

al. Sharps related injuries in California healthcare facilities: pilot

study results from the Sharps Injury Surveillance Registry. Infect

Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003;24:113–21.

Khurram M, Ijaz K, Bushra HT, Khan NY, Bushra H, Hussain

W. Needle-stick injuries: A survey of doctors working at tertiary

care hospitals of Rawalpindi. J Pak Med Assoc 2006;61(1):63–5.

Gershon RR, Mitchell C, Sherman MF, Vlahov D, Lears MK,

Felknor S, et al. Hepatitis B vaccination in correctional health

care workers. Am J Infect Control 2005;33:510–8.

Puro V, De Carli G, Cicalini S, Soldani F, Balslev U, Boaventura

L

, et al. European recommendations for the management of

healthcare workers occupationally exposed to hepatitis B virus

and hepatitis C virus. Euro Surveill 2005;10(10):260–4.

World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia

and Regional Office for Western Pacific, SEARO regional

publication no 41 WHO practical guidelines for infection control

in health care. 2004.

Bodkin C, Bruce J. Health professionals’ knowledge of

prevention strategies and protocol following percutaneous injury.

Curationis 2003;26(4):22–8.

Chogle NL, Chogle MN, Divatia JV, Dasgupta D. Awareness of

post-exposure prophylaxis guidelines against occupational

exposure to HIV in a Mumbai hospital. Natl Med J India

;15(2):69–72.

Published

2012-12-01

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 3-4 (2012): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE, ABBOTTABAD

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

License

Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad is an OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL which means that all content is FREELY available without charge to all users whether registered with the journal or not. The work published by J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad is licensed and distributed under the creative commons License  CC BY ND Attribution-NoDerivs. Material printed in this journal is OPEN to access, and are FREE for use in academic and research work with proper citation. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad accepts only original material for publication with the understanding that except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere before appearing in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. The Editorial Board of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of material printed in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. However, conclusions and statements expressed are views of the authors and do not reflect the opinion/policy of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad or the Editorial Board.

USERS are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

AUTHORS retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including twitter, scholarly collaboration networks such as ResearchGate, Academia.eu, and social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar and any other professional or academic networking site.