| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 2 | Page : 94-101 |
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Needlestick, sharp, and splash injuries in a tertiary care government hospital of South India
Apurba Sankar Sastry, Deepashree Rajshekhar, Prasanna Bhat
Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Apurba Sankar Sastry
Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jcrsm.jcrsm_42_17
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Background: Needlestick, sharp, and splash injuries (NSSSIs) are the major occupational hazards among the healthcare workers (HCWs) for blood-borne viruses (BBVs) such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study was designed to determine the impact of an established nodal center for NSSSI management and to analyze the epidemiological characteristics.
Materials and Methods: Dedicated nodal center was established for NSSSI documentation. A standard operating protocol was set for NSSSI management and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for BBVs. The epidemiological characteristics of NSSSIs were collected using a structured pro forma.
Results: Between December 2014 and November 2016, 452 NSSSIs were reported, which included 411 (90.9%) needlestick and other sharp injuries and 41 (9.1%) splash injuries. Doctors reported the maximum episodes (32.5%), followed by attenders (28.8%) and nurses (21.9%). Most injuries were contracted during device use (44.8%), followed by after withdrawal before disposing (28.5%) and recapping (14.8%). Increased reporting was observed among newly-joined junior doctors. 6.9% of source was positive for BBVs (1.8% HIV; 4.0% HBV; 1.1% HCV). PEP first dose was taken by 30.5% of HCWs. PEP continuation was indicated in 161 cases but could not be traced. 40.9% HCWs were completely vaccinated for HBV (of which 49.2% are protected), 7.1% were partially, and 52.0% were not vaccinated.
Conclusion: Our findings endorse the essential role of an established nodal center for NSSSI documentation. Continuous education, engineering control, vaccination campaign, and other interventional strategies such as biomedical waste auditing are crucial measures which should be taken to tackle this issue. |
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