Evaluation of Preventive Interventions in Reporting Needle Stick Injuries among Health Care Workers

Background and Objective: Needle stick injuries (NSIs) are a common potential risk for healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to evaluate preventive interventions against needle stick injury incidents among HCWs.   Methods: Seven hospitals in the Iranian Chaharmahal-VA-Bakhtiari Province were surveyed between March 2008 to March 2013. Data of the needle stick injuries of healthcare workers was extracted from the hospital documentations. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for analyzing the data.   Findings: A total of 571 exposures (30.9%) to blood and other infected fluids were recorded. Three measures of the preventive interventions against occupational exposures were found to be independently associated with interval reporting time less than 72 hours; a positive history of training courses passed [P=0. 012, OR=0. 440, 95%CI: 0.233-0.832], standard infection control procedures after needle stick injury [P=0. 000, OR=4. 905, 95%CL: 2.777 –8.663], wearing personal protective equipment [P=0. 000, OR=9. 313, 95%CL: 4.142 – 20.940].   Conclusions: Personnel protective equipment, training of employees, and use of standard infection control procedures after NSI incident are both essential and effective in preventing viral transmission of blood-borne diseases among healthcare workers.