Assessing the performance and knowledge of the medical staff of Imam Reza & Vali-asr hospitals in Birjand on the injuries resulting from needle stick

Injuries resulting from needle stick and probable contamination by infectious factors transferring infections through blood such as HCV, HBV, HIV, are important threatening job dangers for health providers. Considering the importance of the issue, the present study was designed and done to defme knowledge and performance of the staff of Imam Reza and Vali-Asr hospitals in Birjand regarding needle stick injuries.

This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on a sample of 59 persons in Vali-Asr and Imam Reza hospitals in 1997. The performance check lists were completed under direct observations of the plan executors, while knowledge questionnaires were filled in by under-study individuals in order to examine the preventative actions in needle stick injuries and also necessary actions after needle stick cases. Data were analyzed by statistic SPSS software using chi square, t test and one way variance analysis (P<0.05).

23.7% of the under-study individuals were men and 76.3% were woman. 13.6% of them had a high school diploma, 22% high school education, 49.2% had a BA degree, 13.3% an Msc degree or higher. The mean for age was 33.4 years and for job history 9.6. On the whole, awareness of the most of the under study individuals was average (66.1 %), while the performance of most of them, regarding under examine criteria, was weak. 36 persons (61%) of the under-study individuals were afflicted at least once with this injury, which 80% of them did not follow-up actions, despite the fact that most of them were aware of the necessary actions after injury resulting from needle stick and believed that they did all-out cautions dealing with all the patients. There were significant relations between the performance of under-study individuals and gender, educations and jobs (P<0.05).

Regarding the high rate of injuries resulting from needle sticks, continuous training and starting care systems and changing the incorrect customs in the curative staff can be useful in reducing the injuries resulting from needle stick and also reducing the probability of acquisition the infectious factor.