A study on knowledge regarding different aspects of injection safety among injection providers at different levels of health care

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONInjection is a skin piercing procedure performed with a syringe and needle to introduce a substance for prophylactic, curative or recreational purposes. Injection is one of the most common health care interventions globally.1 It is estimated that globally 16 billion injections are administered each year. The majority (90%-95%) of these injections are administered for curative purposes.Prophylactic injections (Immunization) accounts for around 5% of all injections.2 Estimates suggest that at least 50% of the world's injections administered each year are unsafe, particularly in developing countries. A majority of curative injections have been judged to be unnecessary, ineffective or inappropriate.3 Also in some countries of South-East Asia the proportion of unsafe injections is 75%. 4 Unsafe injections can transmit bacterial, viral and parasitic (malaria) infections. 5ABSTRACT Background: Estimates suggest that at least 50% of the world's injections administered each year are unsafe, particularly in developing countries. Unsafe injection practices put patients and healthcare providers at risk of infectious and non-infectious adverse events, sound knowledge of healthcare providers is vital to break the chain of blood borne diseases transmission caused by unsafe injection practices. Methods: Cross sectional observational questionnaire based study was carried out amongst 152 injection providers of 40 healthcare facilities of two districts of Kashmir valley (one rural and one urban) selected purposively. Results are summarised and presented in the form of tables and chi (x 2 ) test was used for test of association with statistical significance set at p-value of less than 0.05. Results: In this study out of 152 injection providers, majority (81.57%) were in the age range of 21-40 years and 74.3% were females. 43.4% of the participants were FMPHWs, 30.9% were nurses and 13.8% pharmacists. Overall 65.8% and 67.1% of injection providers had correct knowledge regarding WHO definition of safe injection and infections transmitted by unsafe injections respectively. Majority (90.8%) were aware about the biomedical waste management rules. Conclusions: We conclude that over all the knowledge of different aspects of injection safety was good among the participants except the poor knowledge ofpost exposure prophylaxis and disposal of injection related waste despite the use of color coded bags at the sites of waste generation.

Factors associated with safe intramuscular injection practice among nurses of a teaching hospital

“…Similarly, regarding hand washing 96 (78.7%) nurses washed hands with soap and water after giving injection while 25 (20.5%) did not. 10 Injection safety practice observed through checklist among 32 nurses in Pokhara, Nepal, found only 2 (6.2%) nurses had worn gloves while providing injection, 5 (15.6%) washed hands before while 22 (68.8%) washed hands after injection; 29 (91.6%) practiced recapping after providing injection and 22 (68.8%) disposed the syringe and needle properly in puncture proof container. 11 During IM injection, 23 (88.5%) cleaned the injection site with a spirit swab and 100% segregated the syringe in appropriate colour bin.…”