Intervention study of needle stick injury in Iran

OBJECTIVE: Injury resulting from contaminated sharp devices among health care workers (HCWs) is one of the most important concerns in medical centers. This can lead to dangerous infections such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus among such people. The documentation of needle stick injuries started in Sadi Hospital, Isfahan, Iran in 2003, and our objective was to study cases of injuries by sharp devices before and after the implementation of intervention methods.

METHODS: In an intervention survey of the type of before and after study, we studied injuries by needle and other sharp devices among 87 HCWs in Sadi Hospital, a private hospital in Isfahan, Iran, during the years 2003-2004. The groups under study were workers and paramedical staff; and the wards under study included surgery, internal, lab, x-ray and laundry. We entered and evaluated the data in SPSS software.

RESULTS: In the first phase of the study in 2003, 55.2% of those injured had been injured by sharp devices. After intervention in 2004, this percentage was reduced to 19.5% (p < 0.05). At the beginning of the study, 26.4% of the injured had been injured by sharp devices more than twice, and at the end of the study this number was reduced to 2.3% (p < 0.05). Also, injuries resulting from recapping were 45.8% at the beginning of the study, which was reduced to 5.9% at the end (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: With regard to this study and other studies carried out in other countries, a large number of injuries by contaminated sharp devices can be prevented by implementing suitable educational programs regarding disposal of sharp devices, and by using safe needle devices.