Needle stick injuries and post-exposure prophylaxis practices among healthcare personnel working at tertiary care hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers face a high risk of blood-borne infections due to needlestick injuries, especially in developing countries like Pakistan. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of needlestick injuries, reporting practices, and post-exposure prophylaxis measures among healthcare personnel in tertiary care hospitals in Punjab. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2019. Data were collected from healthcare personnel working in teaching hospitals across six randomly selected cities of Punjab. Data were collected from 600 healthcare personnel using a pretested, self-administered questionnaire, employing stratified random sampling to ensure representative sampling. Descriptive statistics were applied, and differences in needlestick injuries across demographic segments were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. RESULTS: Among the 600 respondents, 533 returned the complete questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 88.8%. The majority of respondents were female (n = 341, 64.2%). The mean years of service was 5.58 (±5.78), with most participants falling in the 0.5–5 years category (n = 338, 66.4%). The prevalence of self-reported needlestick injuries in the last six months was 35.25%. Most injuries occurred during sampling (n = 95, 35.85%), followed by recapping (n = 63, 23.77%). Reporting of needlestick injuries to the respective department was poor, with only 82 (21.87%) injuries reported. The frequency of needlestick injuries differed significantly across profession, working department, and education categories (p < 0.05). Sanitary staff were more likely to sustain needlestick injuries during garbage collection and waste handling. Post-exposure screening for blood-borne infections was received by 79 (42.93%) individuals, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was administered to 67 (36.41%). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of needlestick injuries among healthcare personnel occurred primarily during sampling and recapping. Reporting of NSIs was inadequate, and post-exposure testing and prophylaxis practices were substandard. Enhanced policies and protocols are necessary for effective NSI surveillance and the administration of pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis.