Nigussie Tadesse Sharew
Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia
Title: Occupational exposures to sharp injury among health care providers in Ethiopia regional hospitals
Biography
Biography: Nigussie Tadesse Sharew
Abstract
Background: According to World Health Organization pooled estimate, the annual incidence of sharps injury in Africa was
ranged from 2.10 to 4.68 per person per year, but research data in Ethiopia is limited. The point of the examination was to
research sharps damage pervasiveness and related hazard factors.
Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 healthcare providers (HCP) in Northeast Ethiopia.
Proportionate stratified sampling was used to select HCP. Sharps injury during the last 12 months was an outcome variable.
Data was collected adapting the World Health Organization best practices for injections and related procedures toolkit.
Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify sharps injury associated risk factors.
Results: In total, 195 HCP participated with a response rate of 97.5%. The prevalence of sharps injury was 32.8%. Following
adjustment for covariates health care workers who had no in-service job training (p < 0.001, OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 2. 05–10.56)
and HCP who had previous exposure to sharps injury (p-value = 0.002, OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.62–8.27) were more likely to
experience sharp injuries.
Conclusions: This study revealed 32.8% or at least three out of ten HCP exposed to sharps injury. This was found statistically
significant among HCP who had no in-service job training and who had previous exposure to sharps injury. Thus, training
HCP perhaps increases their skill and curiosity to reduce exposure to sharps injury.