Current status, Knowledge and practice on needle stick injuries among health care personnel working at Tribhuvan University teaching hospital.

Thesis Report.

SUMMARY: Needle Stick Injuries (NSI) are wounds caused by hypodermic needles, blood collection needles, cannulas or needles pose a significant risk of occupational transmission of blood borne pathogens. Health Care Worker (HCW) in particular physicians and nurses, laboratory technicians and waste handlers are at higher risk of accidental needle stick injuries [5] due to the risky job they do. As a result, these workers are prone to occupational acquisition of various blood borne pathogens, including the microorganisms causing HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, malaria, infectious mononucleosis, diphtheria, herpes, tuberculosis, brucellosis, spotted fever and syphilis [1]. The objective of the study is to assess the knowledge of needle stick injuries and its practice of preventive measure taken to it at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH). The study on "Current Status, Knowledge and Practice on Needle Stick Injuries Among Health Care Personnel working at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital" is a descriptive cross-sectional study to determine the status, knowledge of preventive measure of needle stick injuries. This was quantitative study in which self-administrated structured questionnaire was used, questionnaire for the study was based on the Needlestick Injury Prevention Assessment Tool by WHO[31] and was developed with literature review[6,8,10] and under guidance of supervisor. Ethical consent was taken from the college as well as from written consent of participants. Fifty percentage of study population had accidental needle stick injuries during their work duration. Most of the health worker (65.7%) had average performance on preventive measures they have taken and only half (50.2%) of health care worker had satisfactory performance on knowledge of needle stick injuries.