Needle Stick and Sharp Instruments Injuries Among Health Care Providers at Cardiology Institute, Ahmedabad

Background: Needle stick and sharp instruments injury (NSI) is one of the major occupational hazards to health care workers (HCW) and distributed to worldwide at every level of health care setting. Objective: To estimate true incidence, to analyze NSI of self reported cases and to know outcome of post exposure prophylaxis(PEP) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) as well as Hepatitis B virus infection among NSI cases. Materials and Methods: Study Design: analysis of documents of NSI for the period from December 2008 to November 2009 and rapid cross sectional survey among all nurses for history of NSI in month of June 2010. Setting: U N Mehta institute of cardiology and research centre, Ahmedabad. Participants: 277 nurses, 150 doctors and 33 physiotherapists. Results: The reported incidence of NSI among nurses, doctors and physiotherapists was 0.029, 0.0066 and 0.03 per person per year respectively. 60% of injuries associated with hollow bore needles. 10% injuries were due to recapping of used syringe needle. All 100% reported injuries were self inflicted. 90% HCW immediately washed their hand with soap and water after injury. 90% of the reported injuries were associated with contaminated instruments. In 40% injuries, sources were HBsAg positive and in 20% injuries, sources were HIV positive. All at risk HCW on PEP were found sero-negative for HBsAg and HIV at 0, 1 and 6 months.