The incidence of needle stick and sharp injuries and their associations with visual function among hospital nurses

PURPOSE To determine the one-year incidence of needle stick and sharp injuries (NSIs and SIs) and their associations with visual function among Iranian nurses. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 278 nurses working at one hospital were selected through stratified random sampling. After applying the exclusion criteria, the final analysis was performed on the data of 267 nurses. The data of occupational injuries were collected through a researcher-administered questionnaire. Visual function indices including distance and near best corrected visual acuities (BCVAs), color vision, stereoacuity, distance and near heterophorias, accommodative amplitude and facility, contrast sensitivity (CS) for high and low spatial frequencies (SFs), near point of convergence (NPC), saccadic and pursuit eye movements, distance and near convergence and divergence fusional reserves and peripheral vision were evaluated through optometric examinations using standard protocols. RESULTS The one-year incidence of NSIs and SIs was 41.2% [95% Confidence interval (CI): 35.3-47.1] and 19.1% (95% CI: 14.4-23.8), respectively. Color vision deficiency, pursuit deficiency, abnormal near heterophoria, and decreased CS for high SF had a significant association with the increased incidence of NSIs with odds ratios of 3.26, 2.32, and 1.35, respectively. Moreover, saccadic deficiency, abnormal near heterophoria, and decreased near fusional divergence reserve were significantly associated with the increased incidence of SIs with odds ratios of 2.42, 2.40, and 1.27, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed a relatively high incidence of NSIs and SIs in Iranian nurses and their associations with some visual function indices. Therefore, pre-employment and periodic visual examinations are recommended to detect and remove the corresponding visual risk factors. Moreover, preventive strategies should be adopted to decrease the occurrence of the aforementioned injuries.