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ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE TOWARDS NEEDLE STICK INJURIES AMONG HEALTH WORKERS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abdullah Ali Bin Saqer, Ali Mohammad Alshehri , Almansouri Mona Fayin S

Background: Most people who work in a health care facility are at risk of sustaining a needle stick injuries. Despite published guidelines and training programs, needle stick injuries have been neglected and remain an ongoing problem. Objectives: To explore the prevalence and circumstances of needle stick injuries among healthcare Workers in a governmental hospital in Saudi Arabia 2018. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out. All health care workers at the general surgery departments were targeted. Inclusion of 49 HCWs only was done. Self-administrated data was collected using a specially designed questionnaire prepared in English form. It included data about socio-demographic characters, exposure to needle stick injuries, factors and circumstances that enhance injuries. The mean percent score for unfavorable circumstances during injection was calculated. Chi square test, Fishers’ Exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: 77.6% of HCWs gave injections; with an average of 1.4 ±0.50 injection per day. 81.6% received training on safe use of needles. 91.8% of HCWs perceived NSIs as dangerous and 95.9% knew the risks. All Saudi HCWs significantly received assisted disposal of needles.78.3% did not re-sheath syringe, 95.9% use safe boxes, 55.1% separated needle from syringes with gloved hands, 87.8% wearing gloves on dealing with patients. The prevalence of NSIs among HCWs was 28.6 %. Conclusion: NSIs were prevalent incident. Among HCWs, vaccination coverage for HBV was not complete. Not all HCWs perceived NSIs as dangerous. Some HCWs performed risky practices on injection and handling syringes. The score of unfavorable circumstances during injection was relatively high. Key words: Needle stick injuries, health care workers, sharp injuries, syringes, safety. Abbreviations: Needle stick injuries (NSIs), Health care workers (HCWs), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV).

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