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The Epidemiology of Needlestick and Sharp Instrument Accidents in a Nigerian Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Ajibola A. Adegboye ,
Gregory B. Moss ,
Femi Soyinka  and
Joan K. Kreiss
Ajibola A. Adegboye
Affiliation:
School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Gregory B. Moss
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Femi Soyinka
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Joan K. Kreiss*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
*
Harborview Medical Center ZA-89, 325 Ninth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
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Abstract

Objectives:

To characterize the epidemiology of percutaneous injuries of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Design:

A cross-sectional survey of a randorn sample of HCWs regarding details of needle-stick and sharp instrument injuries within the previous year

Setting:

University hospital and clinics in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Participants:

Hospital personnel with potential occupational exposure to patients' blood.

Results:

Needlestick accidents during the previous year were reported by 27% of 474 HCWs, including 100% of dentists, 81% of surgeons, 32% of nonsurgical physicians, and 31% of nursing staff. The rate of needlestick injuries was 0.6 per person-year overall: 2.3 for dentists, 2.3 for surgeons, 0.4 for nonsurgical physicians, and 0.6 for nursing staff. Circumstances associated with needlestick injuries included unexpected patient movement in 29%, handling or disposal of used needles in 23%, needle recapping in 18%, accidental stick by a colleague in and needle disassembly in 10%. Sharp instrument injuries were reported by 15% of and most commonly involved broken glass patient specimen containers (39%). Almost all were aware of the potential risk of HIV transmission through percutaneous injuries, and 91% considered themselves very concerned about their occupational risk of HIV acquisition.

Conclusions:

The high frequency of percutaneous exposure to blood among HCWs in this Nigerian hospital potentially could be reduced by simple interventions at modest cost.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , January 1994 , pp. 27 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1994

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