Outcome of a sharp injury prevention program in Songklanagarind Hospital

• Main Authors: C Pensuk, S Jamulitrat, T Benjawang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Prince of Songkla University 2006-08-01
• Series: Journal of Health Science and Medical Research (JHSMR)
• Subjects: sharps injury prevention program; healthcare workers; job safety analysis
• Online Access: https://www.jhsmr.org/index.php/jhsmr/article/view/585

The objective of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate outcome of a sharp injury prevention program in Songklanagarind Hospital, which consisted of public relations boarding, training, instructing staff in high risk wards, as well as job safety analysis. Number of injuries among healthcare workers were collected using a record of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens of the infection control unit. This was to compare the number of injuries before and 6 months after the plan had been implemented. After program implementation the rate of needlestick and sharps injuriy decreased from 2.21 to 1.95 injuries per person per 6 months. However, when pre and postintervention rates were compared by healthcare workers position, injury workplace, injury times, purpose of sharp objects usage, type of sharp objects causing injury and part of body injured, the reductions in injury rate were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Although the injury prevention knowledge and participation of staff in giving their opinions, seeking methods to solve injury problems and job safety analysis created a positive behavioral change among healthcare workers and was able to reduce the rate of sharps injuries, the lack of statistical significance means that it cannot be concluded that the sharp injury prevention program in Songklanagarind Hospital was able to reduce the needlestick and sharp injuries rate.