The study on needle stick and sharp injury in Kuala Muda health facility/ Firdaus Abdullah

A study on needle stick and sharp injury is carried out in Kuala Muda Health facility that consist one general Hospital and nine Health Clinic. Health Care Workers exposed to blood-borne infection by pathogens such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and even HIV, while performing their clinical activities in workplace. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 Health care Workers in Kuala Muda Health facility. The aims of the study were to determine the incidence of cases and episodes of needle stick injury among them in the past year and to find out the factors that might be associated with the occurrence of this problem, the study also carried out to identify the knowledge; attitude and practice among health care workers that cause the needle stick injury in work place. The socio-demographic characteristics, duration of exposure, level of knowledge of blood-borne diseases and Universal Precaution, perception of risk of blood-borne diseases and level of practice of Universal Precaution, include attitude and practice were collect. The incidence of needle stick and sharp injury among Health care workers was 12% (23 cases).The highest incidence of needle stick injury occurred among medical officer with 43.3%, followed by Support Services with 27.3%, nurses 6.1 %, Community nurse 4.9%, and Assistant Medical Officer 3.6%, drawing blood sample are the highest incidence followed by injection and suturing, collecting clinical waste and lastly handling with sharp object. The result shows the respondent that had needle stick injury (cases) are in the job duration one to two years of services (p<0.05). There was a significant association between the duration of services and the number of episodes of needle stick injury, i.e. the longer the job services, the lower the number of injury. Therefore some preventive measures should be taken by the management to solve this problem.