Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Needlestick and Sharp Injuries among Hospital Healthcare Workers: An Infection Control Challenge in Saudi Arabia

Adil Abalkhail
,
Russell Kabir
ORCID logo ,
Yousif Mohammed Elmosaad
,
Ameen S. S. Alwashmi
ORCID logo ,
Fahad A. Alhumaydhi
ORCID logo ,
Thamer Alslamah
ORCID logo ,
Khalid A. Almoammar
,
Yasir A. Alsalamah
,
Ilias Mahmud
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 2 March 2022 / Approved: 3 March 2022 / Online: 3 March 2022 (08:13:53 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Abalkhail, A.; Kabir, R.; Elmosaad, Y.M.; Alwashmi, A.S.S.; Alhumaydhi, F.A.; Alslamah, T.; Almoammar, K.A.; Alsalamah, Y.A.; Mahmud, I. Needle-Stick and Sharp Injuries among Hospital Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6342. Abalkhail, A.; Kabir, R.; Elmosaad, Y.M.; Alwashmi, A.S.S.; Alhumaydhi, F.A.; Alslamah, T.; Almoammar, K.A.; Alsalamah, Y.A.; Mahmud, I. Needle-Stick and Sharp Injuries among Hospital Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6342.

Abstract

Needlestick and other sharp injuries (NSIs) are critical occupational hazard for healthcare workers. Exposure to blood and body fluids through NSIs increases the risk of transmission of blood-borne pathogens among them. The objectives of this study were to estimate the one-year incidence of NSIs and investigate its associated factors among the healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between October and November 2021. A total of 361 healthcare workers participated in the survey from all over Saudi Arabia. The one-year incidence of NSIs among healthcare workers is estimated at 22.2%. More than half of the injury event (53.8%) was not reported to the authority by the healthcare worker. Incidence of NSIs was highest among the physicians (36%) and is followed by nurses (34.8%), dentists (29.2%), and medical technologists (21.1%). The likelihood of injury is higher (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.04, 6.03) among the works aged 26 – 30 years compared to the 20 – 25 years age group and the workers directly deal with needles or other sharp objects while working (OR: 5.90; 2.69, 12.97). The high incidence rate of injury and low reporting rate highlight the needs of an education program targeting healthcare providers with higher risk.

Keywords

Needlestick and other sharp injuries; hospital-acquired infection; biological hazards; infection control; occupational hazards

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Download PDF

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0
Get PDF Cite Share 0
Bookmark BibSonomy Mendeley Reddit Delicious
×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.