Epidemiology and risk factors of needle stick injuries

Needle stick injuries are one of the most important threats for the nursing staff in teaching hospitals.this study aimed to determine incidence, risk factors and protective factors of needle stick injuries in nursing staff. In a cross sectional study, we gathered information on needle stick injuries from March 2007 up to March 2010. All nurses in Bou-aAli Sina teaching hospital (n=246) included in the study (census). A questionnaire which consisted of questions on demographic characteristics, working habits, history of related training courses, educational level, work experiences and injury-related information. Was administerd Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed by content validity and test-retest (r=0.89) methods respectively. Epi Info 3.5.1 package was used for statistical analysis. Needle stick injury was reported in 77 nurses out of 246 in different positions. Independent risk factors for needle stick injuries were habitual recapping of used needles and consecutive shift works. Overall 54.5% of incidents were reported to hospital infection control facilities. Male gender and younger age had significant statistical association with lower likelihood of reporting of needle stick injuries. According to the complications of needle stick injuries, training programs in this field are one of the priorities in the teaching hospitals. In addition, decrease in consecutive shift works for nurses may have a significant impact on prevention of these injuries in nursing staff.