Background: Needle stick injuries (NSIs) are preventable hazards that can be avoided with appropriate staff training and safety systems. We assessed the prevalence and awareness of NSIs among health-care workers and cleaners in hospitals in Gaza.
Methods: We did a cross-sectional study in four hospitals from July 14 to Oct 25, 2018. All cleaners and health-care workers were eligible to participate. Data were gathered via a survey tool designed for the study that covered sociodemographic data, NSI prevalence, and response to possible injuries. The primary outcomes were prevalence and staff awareness of NSIs.
Findings: 538 staff participated in the survey, among whom the mean age was 28.9 (SD 7.71) years, 331 (62%) were men, 119 (22%) were doctors, 262 (49%) were nurses, 72 (13%) were medical students, and 85 (16%) were cleaners. 289 participants (54%) had had at least one NSI: 59 doctors (50% of all doctors), 142 nurses (54%), 32 students (44%), and 56 cleaners (66%). NSIs were obtained during various activities, including 168 incidents (40%) during drug administration, 82 (20%) while recapping needles, 78 (19%) during wound suturing, 63 (15%) while cleaning, and 27 (6%) during arterial blood gas sampling. Only 94 (33%) of 289 participants with NSIs reported their injuries. Among the 195 (67%) participants who did not report NSIs, 41 (21%) did not know that they should do so, 65 (33%) did not know how to report, 62 (32%) believed that reporting was useless, and 27 (14%) forgot to report.
Interpretation: More than half the participants had had NSIs, but reporting of injuries was low. The Ministry of Health should provide targeted interventions and training to improve risk awareness and understanding of the importance of reporting for health-care employees. The strengths of this study are the large sample size and recruitment from diverse professional backgrounds. The main limitation was the lack of validation of the study instrument.
Funding: None.
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